Protected local food
Yamagata La France
山形ラ・フランス
Yamagata La France are European pears from Yamagata Prefecture, with dense, juicy flesh and a strong scent. Growers ship them at the right time for ripening.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 19 August 2020
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 山形ラ・フランス
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 山形県
A pear that ripens after picking
La France is a European pear that is ripened after it's picked. In 1988 Yamagata worked out how to predict the harvest and ripen the fruit in the growing area, which set the shipping dates growers follow.
Little rain from June to September keeps the fruit healthy, and big day-night temperature swings in August and September help it store up sweetness. The result is dense, juicy flesh with a distinctive scent.
Good to know
- A La France pear is ready when it smells sweet and the skin near the stem gives a little when pressed.
- Yamagata is also famous for cherries: see Higashine Cherries.
Questions travellers ask
When is a La France pear ready to eat?
When it smells sweet and the area around the stem softens slightly. Until then, leave it at room temperature.
Why Yamagata?
Low rain in summer and large day-night temperature swings in late summer suit the pear, and growers here developed their own ripening methods.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.