Pears

 

Already during the Emperor's days, Styrian fruits stood for top-quality and were traded as a specialty. This is particularly true for the Styrian pear. For example, the Hirschbirne ("game-pear," a wild growing pear-species) is a very old pear variety which may still be found in the Pöllau Valley in Eastern Styria. Traditionally, this fruit is further processed to cider, noble brandies, juice and dried fruit. By the way, the name does not derive from "game" (in German "Hirsch") but from an ancient word for autumn (in German "Herbst") - called "Hirbscht" in the Styrian dialect which actually means "Herbstbirne" ("autumn pear").