Fruit of the Ancestors

Pears -

In China, there are many words for describing this Yin nourishing fruit – Kuai “happy fruit”, guo zong “fruit ancestor”, mi fu “honey father” and my favourite, yu ru “jade milk”. Their medicinal properties are perfectly suited for the ailments that come with the season they coincide with (isn’t nature divine?). They help to soothe and nourish a dry irritated throat, relieve constipation and help calm a restless mind. Energetically they are sweet and cooling, clear heat, moisten dryness, generate body fluids and transform phlegm.

One of my favourite dishes is stewed pears with honey, the process giving birth to a delicious jade syrup. Pour it warm from the pot, to soothe and nourish after the heat and dryness of summer, and to fortify the fluids of the body in autumn.

Baked Pears with ginger and honey

Ingredients
4 ripe pears
4 Tbs of honey
3 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup of water

Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Cut the top ¼ off each pear and put aside. Remove the core of the pears from the top, but leave the bottom of the pear intact. Place the pears in a glass or ceramic dish.

Mix the honey, ginger and water in a bowl. You may need to add warm water to dissolve the honey. Then place this mixture inside the pears where the core has been removed. Place the tops back onto each pear, and brush the outside of the pears with the mixture also. Leave a small amount of mixture aside for glaze.

Bake the pears for 10 -15 mins, until they feel soft. Take them out of the oven, pour over the remaining sauce and return to the oven for another 5 mins at 190 degrees Celsius. The glaze should then caramelize.

Let cool slightly and devour..