Buddha-shaped Pears hit the market

In Zeewolde, entrepreneur Bart Elbers has found a new way to make make the experience of eating fruit just a little more special, and spiritual too. He has partnered up with a fruit farmer to bring 'Buddha pears' to the market, Omroep Flevoland reports. A few years ago, Elbers had a eureka moment and started developing a mould that would force growing pears to take on the shape of a smiling Buddha. This year's harvest has resulted in 11,000 Buddha pears. The strange fruit do come at a hefty price, however. They are for sale in shops at €9.50 apiece. Elbers says that there is a good demand for these interesting-looking pears because "people like to see something new." Interstingly, a farmer in China has also hit on the Buddha pear idea, and is also growing his pears in the molds. According to ABC News, the farmer got the idea from an old Chinese myth about a magic fruit in the shape of Buddha.