Transplanted easterners with a classic Virginica pear shape and a relatively shallow shell, they are praised for their richness and mouthfeel, and were sweet, fleshy, and vibrant, even when shucked right on the beach in the midday heat.

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The meal is often finished with a traditional sweet - such as a sticky rice cake in the shape of a purple blossom, with paper-thin slices of pear shaped like leaves.

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