Walking through the produce section the other day, one of my favorite produce guys, Karl, came running up to me enthusiastically describing this new fruit. For those of you who don’t know Karl, he and I share a passion for great produce, and have both been known to be a bit too excited about most things in life!  -So yes, he was actually running, and nearly stammering with excitement!

The fruit he introduced me to is called a papple. Pear + apple = papple. I just love combined words. “Liger” anyone? Roar!

The papple isn’t really an apple at all, but rather a cross between a traditional pear and a crunchy, Asian pear.

I’m always up for trying something new, and my man Karl didn’t disappoint. I love pears, but really dislike over-ripe, mushy pears. This pear is slightly crunchy and oh-so-sweet.

It was great eaten by itself as a snack and would be amazing chopped up on a salad. It has a lovely refreshing taste, perfect for snacking on, and is a fun alternative to an apple a day. The biggest advantage of trying something new is that it solves the produce boredom that we often get into.

Even working in a grocery store, I find myself reaching for the same produce items time after time. After awhile, I get bored of eating oranges and don’t look forward to my afternoon snack.  Trying something new solves this dilemma and brings back the produce excitement again!