Nashi pears (Pyrus pyrifolia and
P. ussuriensis) are juicy round
pears, shaped like apples. Because
of the resemblance, some people
call them "apple pears."
They originated in East Asia where
they are a popular fruit, eaten
as a thirst quencher. Nash, is a
generic word for pears and European
pears are called Yonashi. The fruit
are harvested in fall and nashi
may be used as an autumn kigo (or
season word) in writing haiku.
Once reserved as a food to be served
only to the wealthy and to Chinese
nobles, Nashi pears have been grown,
cultivated, and eaten for centuries.
Little is known about their origin...
it's estimated that they began appearing
at least 3,000 years ago in China.
Some varieties spread westward,
and those ended up looking and tasting
more like the pears with which most
people are familiar. The varieties
that spread eastward, however, took
on more of an apple-like shape and
a crisper quality, and those became
the Nashi pears we know today.
They were first introduced to Americans
on the West Coast by Chinese migrant
workers during the 1850s. Even today,
this region - California and Oregon,
in particular - remains the largest
Nashi pear producing region of our
country. At first, trees were grown
from seeds found in the fruit, and
their quality was widely varied.
It wasn't until the early 1900s,
when pomologists began mastering
crossing techniques, that reliable,
high-quality Asian pears were grown
in the U.S. In the 1980s, there
was a sudden increase in demand
for Asian pears brought on by the
increasing population of immigrant
Americans in the U.S. and Canada.
Nashi pears are a great source
of dietary fiber, and they're also
very high in potassium and other
essential minerals. They contain
nearly 10% of the USRDA for Vitamin
C, and a high concentration of folates,
which make up the Vitamin B complex
group.
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