La France pear is one of the most popular European pears in Japan. Its typical charms include the fine aroma and the smooth texture. In Japan, Yamagata prefecture is one of the major La France pear-producing areas. To promote new local specialty processed foods and drinks in the Yamagata district, we developed two new food materials made from La France pear. One is a powdered material, “La France powder”, and the other is a liquid material, “La France essence”. Their beneficial characteristics include their natural and fine aroma. They are currently being utilized in the development of many new processed foods, drinks, etc. In this context, an overview of their development and examples of their applications are presented.
