Recipe: Asian Pear and Banana Smoothie

One of my favorite things about fall is that pears are in season. Here in China, we get Bartlets and Bosc pears like in the US, but Asian pears are by far the most popular and most abundant.

I did a little research on the origin of Asian pears and found out that all pears may have originated in China. From The Washington Post:

All pears, it's believed, have a common parentage from rootstock native to western China. But centuries ago, trees that were taken westward to European countries changed over the years and produced fruit with a texture and flavor like the common Bartlett pear.

Asian pears tend to be sweeter, more crisp, and juicier than their European cousins, which means they're excellent for making smoothies. The natural sweetness cancels out the need for additional sugar, though sometimes I use a spoonful of honey if I'm in the mood for a sweeter drink.

Asian Pear and Banana Smoothie

8-10 cubes of ice
240 mL (1 cup) unsweetened soy milk
2 Asian pears, peeled and chopped
3 medium-sized bananas, peeled and chopped
15 mL (1 tablespoon) honey, optional

Make sure your blender is made for crushing ice; there may be a special attachment you have to use. Crush the ice with about half of the soy milk; ice crushes much faster when there is liquid.

Add the pears, bananas, and the rest of the soy milk. Taste to see if the smoothie is sweet enough, and if not, add a bit of honey. Serve as is, or (Jacob's suggestion) strain the smoothie with cheesecloth or pantyhose to get out any fibrous bits that are natural to all pears.