NASHI
ORIGINS
Native to China, the nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia) - also known as the apple pear - was cultivated and eaten in this Asian country as many as 3,000 years ago. Large areas were dedicated to nashi crops along the banks of the Yellow and Kwai rivers in the 1st century before Christ, at the time of the Han dynasty.
The so-called "Asian pears" were introduced to America during the gold rush of the 1800s by Chinese miners, who grew this species along the streams of the Sierra Nevada.

NASHI CULTIVATION
The world's primary producer of nashi is China, where an average of 1 million tons are produced each year. It is followed by Japan (500,000 tons), South Korea (50,000), New Zealand (10,000) and the United States (5,000).
The most common varieties are Hosui, Kosui, Nijisseiki, Shinseiki and Shinsui.

THE NASHI CALENDAR

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Harvest period

Market presence

CONSUMPTION AND STORAGE
Available on the market year round, nashi has a very high content of water and sugar.
Refreshing and juicy, it may be eaten fresh at the end of a meal, alone or with other fruit, or used to prepare tasty appetizers (with shrimp and avocado).
Nashi may be stored for 5-6 months at a temperature of 0-1 °C and relative humidity of 90%.

VARIETY OF NASHI
Nashi are available on the market from September through December.
The most widespread varieties of nashi or "Asian pears" are Hosui, Kosui, Nijisseiki, Chojuro, Shinseiki, Nikusui and Shinsui.

THE CALENDAR FOR NASHI VARIETIES

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Harvest period

Market presence

MINIMUM QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance
Clean, healthy fruit with no residue and a long stem.

Colour
Skin: bronze-golden or rusty amber (Hosui and Kosui)
yellow-green (Shinseiki and Nijisseiki)

Shape
Fairly globular, somewhat flattened at times

Flavor and texture
Crisp, juicy, sweet pulp, with little or no acidity.

Refraction index
Consumption: 10.5 - 12.5

Pulp hardness
Consumption: 3-3.5 kg (piston 8 mm)

Sale period (Italian product)
1^st September through 31^st December

Storage
The product may be stored at 0-1 °C and a relative humidity of 90% for approximately 3-4 months.

Handling
Great care is needed when handling this product, especially for smooth-skinned varieties.
Nashi should be displayed at the sales outlet only in one layer, since it is very delicate and the long stem – normally cut off – can poke other fruits. Things to avoid
Excess handling by customers at the sales outlet.

Notes
This is a typical Oriental fruit; its salient feature is its sweet, refreshing taste and non-existent acidity, which sharply differs from the sweet-sour taste of the apples or pears the Western customer is accustomed to.

NASHI: Index
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