Category Archives: International

Pear and Watercress Salad

Lynsey By on

In New Zealand, one of the most popular ways to enjoy USA Pears is in a salad.  Simple, classic, and delicious!  Our Kiwi friends sent me this enticing recipe and gorgeous photo – I can’t wait to whip up this combo.  I’ve even converted the measurements from metric to make this salad truly effortless to try at home!  As always, you can find more pear salad, ahem, pear-ings in the recipe section of usapears.org. Pear and Watercress Salad 4 USA Green Anjou Pears 3 1/2 oz watercress 2 oz goat cheese gouda 2 lemons 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 oz walnuts Grate 2 pears into a bowl.  Cut remaining 2 pears into 8 wedges each, removing the core, then add to bowl.  Squeeze juice of 2 lemons onto the pears and add olive oil.  Toss, then add watercress and season with salt Continue reading →

Love Infusion with Anjou Pear

Lynsey By on

The winners of our annual recipe contest in Hong Kong were recently announced.  We received over 60 food and drink recipes competing for supermarket gift cards to help the winners buy – what else – more USA Pears (but other groceries, too).  The entries were judged by a popular magazine in Hong Kong based on the recipe’s creativity, tastiness and nutritional value. One of the winning recipes below sounds delicious – but also quite interesting.  And with a name like this, I’m only sorry that I didn’t have it in time to make for Valentine’s Day.  It’s easy to make – give it a try at home and let us know how it turns out!  I’m interested to hear about the milk/cream/sugar concoction and what flavor it adds to the recipe.  You can tell everyone that you’ve prepared an authentic recipe from Continue reading →

Standing Out in Russia

Lynsey By on

I just returned from a trip to St. Petersburg, in Western Russia.  Russia is a large market for USA Pears – and competes with Brazil every year to be either third or fourth place after Mexico and Canada.  The weather was clear and the city was beautiful, but it was freezing.  More accurately, below freezing.  At one point it reached -13 degrees Fahrenheit.  A bit of a shock for someone like me, who has only known the fairly mild winters of the Pacific Northwest!  But I would consider this to be part of the true Russian experience. Russia imports pears from all over the world, in addition to the U.S.  So how do USA Pears stand out on the shelves at the grocery store?  One way is through the multiple varieties and colors of USA Pears.  In the Russian Far East, Continue reading →

Year of the Dragon

Lynsey By on

Chinese New Year celebrations kick off on January 23 this year.  We’re joining in the celebrations for the Year of the Dragon in many countries in Southeast Asia.  Shoppers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan will see special USA Pear displays and giveaways with purchase.  In some markets, customers receive a “6-pack” USA Pear gift box so that they can mix and match varieties. The color red is considered lucky in Chinese culture, so whether it be an addition to one of the traditional meals or as a gift exchanged between family and friends, Red Anjou pears are a perfect addition to the festivities! You, too, can ring in the New Year by incorporating Red Anjou pears into one of our Asian-inspired recipes, like Braised Pears with Soy-Ginger Glaze, Grilled Asian Shrimp Skewers with Pears, or Spicy Wasabi Pear Lettuce Continue reading →

Chipwrecked

Lynsey By on

Since more USA Pears are shipped to Mexico than any other foreign country, we get to do extra activities from time to time, above and beyond our regular sampling in grocery stores – like the Marmaduke and Gulliver’s Travels promotions.  This year, it’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.  This was one of my favorite cartoons growing up – I can’t hear certain songs without flashing back to certain episodes (anyone else remember the chipmunks’ versions of “Bad to the Bone,” “Beat It,” and my personal favorite, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”?  But I’d better stop with the 80s nostalgia before I spend my afternoon looking for clips of these on YouTube…). Shoppers in Mexico can visit the USA Pears display at the grocery store to have their picture taken with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, as well as Anjou, Red Anjou, and Continue reading →

How Do YOU Say ‘Pear’?

Lynsey By on

As a foreign language student in my school days (Spanish and French), I enjoy any opportunity to pick up new words in any language. It’s helpful for travel, communication, and has even taught me more about my own native English than I learned in any language arts class growing up. So here are a few words to add to a more international vocabulary – the pear-fect building blocks for discussing our favorite topic: pears! Language: Spanish, Italian Pronunciation: PAIR-ah Language: Arabic Pronunciation: koumathra Language: Russian Pronunciation: GROO-sha Language: German Pronunciation: Bir-nuh Add your language to the list in the comment section! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Pasta con Peras y Queso

Lynsey By on

Stumped about what to have for dinner tonight?  Try this quick and easy recipe – just pick up some fresh, new season USA Pears at the store – the yellow of a ripe Bartlett and bright red Starkrimson add beautiful color to this dish from Mexico! Pasta con Peras y Queso (Pasta with Pears and Cheese) Ingredients 2 USA Bartlett pears, ripe & chopped 2 USA Starkrimson pears, ripe & chopped 6 ounces penne pasta 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup grated parmesan cheese ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese ½ cup cream ½ cup milk 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules Salt, chopped onion, garlic, and olive oil as desired to season pasta while cooking Directions Boil the pasta in water with some salt, onion, garlic, and a little olive oil.  When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and set pasta Continue reading →

Savvy’s Latin America Tour

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Savvy has wrapped up its tour of Latin America, but the group has just released its Spanish-language song, “Tanto Amor”! Click below to have a listen and to see some new footage from the concerts in Mexico! Meanwhile, shoppers in Mexico, both kids and adults alike, showed their love for the band and for USA Pears by donning the costumes famously worn by Savvy in the “I Want a Pear” music video.  You can peruse the adorable – and in some cases, hilarious – photos by clicking on the albums section of the Peras USA Facebook page! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

New Season Prep

Lynsey By on

Here at Pear Bureau HQ, the warehouse holds all of our USA Pear promotional materials: from signs and posters that are sent to grocery stores to brochures and recipe handouts.  And everything in between!  Before harvest, as we’re getting ready for the new season, we put together shipments of all these goodies to send to 39 countries around the world. These little guys are on their way to Russia as we speak!  They’ll be used as giveaways at the grocery store or handed out to kids during school activities.  We often hear stories about shoppers that come back, year after year, asking for Pear Buddies when they buy their USA Pears at the grocery store.  Pear Buddy collections have been spotted sitting in the back window of cars, hanging from backpacks, and lined up on desks at offices. You, too, can peruse Continue reading →