Transplanted easterners with a classic Virginica pearshape 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.
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.