Korean Pear

Pears have been eaten on the Korean peninsula for a very long time. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture notes that the New Book of Tang lists pears among the produce of Balhae, and that the Goryeosa records the planting of pear trees. Those early pears were wild dolbae, however. Joseon-era Korea had its own named varieties and regional specialties, but after a horticultural station opened at Ttukseom in 1906, improved varieties bred in Japan from East Asian sand pears gradually replaced them.

Modern Korean pears are round and russet- or golden-skinned, with crisp, granular flesh and abundant juice. Singo (Niitaka) is the cultivar analyzed in the Korean Food Composition Table, and pears are grown widely in the central and southern regions, mainly for eating fresh.

In cooking, pear does two jobs. Grated or juiced, it goes into marinades for beef dishes such as bulgogi and galbi, where it adds sweetness and moisture and its natural protease helps soften meat. Sliced or julienned, it is part of the filling for mild, chili-free kimchi such as baek-kimchi and Gaeseong's wrapped bossam kimchi. Traditional drinks include baesuk, pear poached with peppercorns, ginger and honey, and pear hwachae.

• Hydrating fruit: About 87 percent water, with modest fiber and natural sugars and almost no fat or sodium.
• Natural tenderizer: Korean pear contains a cysteine protease that breaks down muscle proteins in laboratory tests, which helps explain its traditional place in meat marinades.
• Do not over-marinate: America's Test Kitchen found that pear enzymes can turn thinly sliced beef mushy on the surface; a short marinade is enough.
• A lighter sweetener: Using grated pear in marinades and kimchi can replace part of the added sugar, though the pear itself still contributes natural sugars.