Asian pear

Get to know it

An Asian pear crunches even when it is fully ripe. Its flesh is juicy, with a little tartness near the core, and a sweet variety such as Hosui gives you plenty of juice with each bite.

What it is

The round shape explains the nickname “apple pear”, but this is a pear, not an apple–pear cross. A typical fruit measures about 7.5–10 cm (3–4 in) across. Its skin may be tan and speckled or smooth and yellow-green.

Hosui has bronze skin and sweet, juicy flesh with little acidity. Shinseiki has yellow-green to yellow skin and creamy white, sweet flesh. Both give you the crisp bite that sets Asian pears apart.

Where it comes from

Asian pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, comes from eastern Asia, with a native range stretching from southern China into Korea and mainland Southeast Asia. China, Korea and Japan all grow it. Chinese miners brought varieties to California during the 1849 Gold Rush.

The fruit now has a US harvest as well as an Asian one, with orchards in California and Washington. Its many shop names include Chinese pear, Japanese pear and nashi.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Korea, grated pear goes into the marinade for bulgogi, thin slices of beef cooked over a flame or in a pan. The pear adds flavour and helps soften the meat.

For baejungtang, also called baesuk in some regions, a hollowed-out pear becomes its own little cooking pot. Ginger, dates, honey and pieces of pear fill the middle; the cut-off top goes back on as a lid. The fruit is steamed or poached and served warm with a spoon.

How it's grown

Trees begin bearing around their third or fourth year. Growing two varieties together helps pollen move between compatible flowers and gives a better crop. The fruit ripens on the tree, so it is usually sold ripe and ready to eat.

A heavy crop needs thinning: growers remove small pears so the remaining ones grow larger. Taking off some fruit also keeps heavily loaded branches from breaking.

When and where you'll find it

In California, harvest usually runs from mid-July through September; in Washington and Japan, it usually runs from August through October. In the US it usually shows up in grocery stores in autumn and winter. The pears bruise easily, which explains their cushioned packaging.

Ripe pears keep for about a week at room temperature or up to three months in the refrigerator. They also travel as dried slices: Arnett Farms in Fresno, California, makes them.

Sources · 9

Get it near Detroit

What it tastes like

As mild as a banana, as crisp as an apple≈

Not sweetlemonSweet

MildapplelemonSour

SoftbananapearCrisp

More about the taste

Ripe Asian pears are crisp and juicy, with some tartness especially toward the core — unlike the soft flesh of a ripe European pear, so softness isn't a useful ripeness test here.

At Carandale Farm in Wisconsin, the Shinseiki variety was described as sweet, flavorful and notably juicy.

Choose, ripen, store, eat

1ChooseRipened on the tree
Look for
Ripened on the tree
Yellow to yellow-green skin
Ignore
Softness
Ask for the variety and whether the fruit ripened on the tree. Ripe skin color ranges from yellow to yellow-green depending on the variety.
2RipenDoesn’t ripen after picking
Doesn’t ripen after picking
Asian pears reach their best quality ripening on the tree — unlike European pears, which are picked green and softened afterward.
3StoreFridge, ripe
1. FridgeRipePlastic or paper bag
Asian pears bruise easily. Keep ripe fruit in a plastic or paper bag, cushioned against knocks; refrigeration keeps it longer than room temperature.
4EatAsian pears are mostly eaten fresh, but are also dried or used in meat marinades
Asian pears are mostly eaten fresh, but are also dried or used in meat marinades. Cooking can make them mushy and dull their flavor, since they're a water-rich fruit.

More tips

Worth knowing

Cold-stored Asian pears can keep good eating quality, depending on the variety and how long they sat warm.
When comparing Asian pears, weigh aroma, juice and acid balance along with crispness — a brown skin doesn't automatically mean a better pear.

Detroit, Michigan

When it’s good here

Grown here

Ships from WashingtonAt their best

11 growing areas, 5 countries

Coquimbo
Maule
Nagano +1
New South Wales
O'Higgins
South Australia
South Jeolla
Victoria
Washington
You

Grows hereIn season nowOther monthsYou

3 of 3 areas · October

21

Growing areas by country

Australia4
Chile3
Japan2
South Korea1
United States1

At Carandale Farm, the Shinseiki variety established and fruited well, while two later varieties introduced were slower to establish.
Wisconsin, United States

92 varieties

See all 92 varieties

63 names in 15 languages

Cook it

Recipes 4

1 Asian pear festival

Dangshan Pear Blossom FestivalMar–AprDangshan, Anhui, ChinaMar–Apr

Festivals this month →

Strange but true

If you like Asian pear

Tastes alike

Close relatives

Pear≈softer

Nutrition, sources

Nutrition

Pears, asian, raw · per 100 g

Energy42kcal · 176 kJ

Carbohydrate: 11 g
Fiber: 3.6 g
Sugars: 7.1 g
Protein: 0.5 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Vitamin C: 3.8 mg
Potassium: 121 mg

Sources

Asian pear · Fruitopia · checked Oct 2, 2026