"It's to neutralize the tartness of the apples. Pure apples become sour when heated, which affects the initial taste when eaten. Adding a few pears will counteract that sourness with their sweet freshness, resulting in a filling that's more pleasantly tart and slightly sweet."
Seeing his Junior Brother's curiosity, Xie Baomin added, "Too many pears will overpower the apple flavor. Generally, one pear for every three or four apples is enough. The pear cores must be thoroughly removed; otherwise, the sourness will be even stronger."
My Senior Brother is so knowledgeable, Lin Xu thought. He vaguely remembered his Senior Brother mentioning that he wasn't an expert in pastry. But listening to him describe it in such detail, he seems nothing short of a pastry expert!
