Tirol Chocolate – Japanese Pear
As Gertrude Stein once famously wrote, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose”. We could debate about how that line should be interpreted, but fair to say most people will agree it is another way to say that things are what they are. No more, no less. While I can see the merit of such an argument in the grand scheme of identity and taking things at face value, I can’t apply that same logic so haphazardly to fruits. While I could tell you that a pear is a pear is a pear, and arguably be correct, not all pears are born equal and things could get confusing.
I’ve discussed previously about how fruits can be very different between regions, but I think pears are a perfect example to really bring that point home. The pears that are common or native to the Americas is vastly different from those found in Asia. It’s always been very fascinating how different the two types are. I remember when I was a kid and I asked parents for pears, and they would bring back ones from the region I was actually interested in. Spoiler alert – they usually ended up bringing back Bartlett pears instead of the asian varieties I preferred. This was to no fault of theirs, as a kid I didn’t even know the difference or how to explain it. I just knew I liked one more than the other.
For those who are supremely confused at the differences by now, let me briefly explain. Pears that you tend to find in the west tend to have less water content. The asian ones are usually very juicy and are very refreshing when you eat them. The side effect of this though, is they also don’t have quite as strong of a flavour as the western ones. This is why if you look at fruit snacks, they tend to have pear juice as one of the common ingredients for flavouring. I find that the western ones tend to have a more saturated skin colour, while the asian ones are more mild and light coloured. While both variations can bruise easily, the asian ones bruise much easier. It’s why if you see them in grocery stores, they tend to be wrapped in that Styrofoam mesh. Even a slight flick will leave an unattractive black streak on it. In terms of shape, I find that the asian pears I see tend to be more ball shaped and look more like giant apples than they do the typical pear that you imagine. All in all though, the flavour though quite varied, still has that distinct pear-ness to it. Despite what kind you try, you will think to yourself, “yup this is definitely a pear”.
Now that you have a quick rundown of one dudes primer on the difference between western and asian pears, I can now proceed to review today’s Tirol which is based on the Japanese pear. To be frank, I don’t really taste or notice any major differences between Japanese pears and the Chinese pears I usually find at my local grocers. The colour is perhaps more orange and the flavour slightly stronger and sweeter, but for the most part the overall package is the same to me. But that’s just me.
There isn’t much in the way of surprises for me in terms of how the larger Tirol pieces look. The bottom is very smooth and I don’t see any jagged points or ends sticking out. What does it say about me that I actually prefer sharp objects and edges protruding out from my chocolate?
It definitely has that light orange brownish hue to it that is reminiscent of the skin from a ripened pear. It has that distinct smell of fresh pears. Almost like you walked into a cafe and they just so happened to be making a fresh batch of pear juice. Very appetizing. It honestly reminds me more of the western pears, as the asian pears don’t typically have such a strong aroma, and tend to smell more faint or mild. Let’s see what’s going on inside, cause it’s looking very tame and uniform on the outside. TOO uniform, if you ask me.
Things really fell apart here. I always go in with the best of intentions, but how quickly things escalate and go poorly. Looks like this experience will be no different. I knew the moment I bit in that I wouldn’t be able to get a clean cross section. To give you an idea of the chaos going on, the inside is mostly pear flavoured chocolate with what appears to be pieces of dried or candied pear, and a layer of pear syrup. The pear flavour throughout is stronger than I expected, and is almost reminiscent of a pear puree. The flavour is good, but is stronger and closer to a western pear. It also tastes surprisingly apple like, and is what I imagine an apple pear hybrid juice would taste like. Not that I mind, because I love apples. The syrup tastes very familiar, but I’m not sure why. It almost reminds me of cream soda because of the aftertaste. But the classy one that taste like actual cream, and not just sugar.
Overall, this was a pleasant experience. Fruit flavoured chocolate can go real bad, real fast. Fortunately this was not one of those dumpster fires. This was nice and refreshing enough that I would do them again. Just be warned that they can get quite messy, as the syrup can get all over the place if your not careful. If you are hoping for something that’s like the asian pears, you might be disappointed. If you like pear flavour in general though, this will be your jam (heh). Also, if you like apple soda or cream soda, you might also like this. Not sure why it reminds me of that, but it does. So there you have it, another tasty treat by Tirol.
