Grower
Seasons/Availability
Locally grown in California at Penryn Orchard Specialties, check for availability.
Current Facts
Twenty-five varieties of Asian pears are enjoyed in the United States and over one hundred different varieties in Japan. The Asian pear is known by many names which include Nashi, Japanese pears, sand pears, pear apples or Chinese pears. Chefs and creative at-home cooks everywhere are using intriguing Asian fruits and vegetables to create classic Asian preparations, exotic cross-cultural entrées, vegetable side dishes and decorative garnishes.
Description/Taste
Deliciously juicy, crisp crunch, Asian pears are a very large group of different varieties. Not like regular pears, Asian pears maintain their consistent texture long after picking and storage. Generally, there are three types of these extraordinary pears: round or flat fruit with green to yellow skin; round or flat fruit with bronze-colored skin or a light bronze-russet; and pear-shaped fruit having green or russet-colored skin. Flavor varies among the different varieties ranging from lightly semi-sweet to somewhat bland.
Nutritional Value
Pears provide a good source of vitamin C and also contain a fair amount of dietary fiber. A six ounce serving contains about 100 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrates. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Served with Brie, Camembert or Stilton cheese, this special pear is a delicious and satisfying dessert. Add its tasty goodness to watercress and spinach salads. Make a succulent topping for tarts, filling for flans or a yummy pear pie. Poach in syrup. An attractive edible garnish, mix its crunchy chunks in a fresh fruit salad. Dip iced slices in strawberry, kiwi, raspberry or apricot sauce. Drizzle thinly cut slices with caramel or chocolate. Baked or sautéed, this pear requires a longer cooking time than other pears due to its firmer texture. Sauté with toasted slivered almonds or ginger for an unusual dessert to delight guests. Slice horizontally to reveal its flower-shaped seed center; use as edible garnish. A healthy snack, enjoy simply out of hand! Usually marketed ripe, they are most often individually wrapped. A sweet aroma is the best indicator of ripeness for this type of pear, not gentle pressure. At room temperature, Asian pears keep a week or two and up to three months refrigerated.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Native to Japan and China, this exotic pear is a favorite used in Japanese cuisine. Chinese cuisine prefers this pear eaten raw as a favored fruit, and often dip it in salted water for flavor. In the past, Asian pears had been fried or steamed and served as a vegetable, preferably accompanying game. This pear is known as a snow pear or pear apple in Peking.
Geography/History
Locally grown in California and located right in the middle of the very best fruit-growing region in the nation, Penryn Orchard Specialties is renowned for its biodiversity and proudly promotes natural ecological forces to do the necessary work. In fact, Penryn Orchard Specialties' location is where fruit was first grown commercially in California. The snows of the Sierra provide the nourishing water and the well-drained decomposed granite soil produce this orchard's outstanding fruit. A very successful one-man operation, Jeff Reiger of Penryn Orchard Specialties does the picking, sorting, packing and selling. Jeff completed a USDA conservation grant to increase the orchard's water efficiency. Those ecological forces mentioned above that do the work include the perpetual appetite of Guinea hens that eagerly eat obnoxious apple-eating pests and other annoying pesky plant-loving bugs. Integrated pest management is used to control codling moths and willing sheep do the mowing and frequent fertilizing. It all makes good ecological sense. Asian pears are descendants of the wild sand pear native to central and western China and are sometimes called oriental pears. The common, or European, pear is of the species Pyrus communis, whereas most Asian pears are Pyrus pyrifolia. Just like apples, Asian pears are allowed to ripen on the tree and harvested when their color changes from green to greenish yellow or orangish. In the United States, California is a major Asian pear producer. Western countries now can find this pear treasure readily available. When stored in a cold atmosphere, mature Asian pears keep their excellent eating quality several months after harvest. Supplies also arrive from Washington State, Oregon, Japan and New Zealand. Locally grown in California, Specialty Produce strongly supports our local growers, farmers, ranchers and the California farming industry.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Asian Pears. One
is easiest, three is harder.
