Asian Pear

Pyrus pyrifolia Origin: Guanxi, China Improvement status: Cultivated Seeds per packet: ~20 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Perennial Asian pears (sometimes called Chinese pears, Japanese pears, Sand pears, or some combination of those) are the crunchy, juicy, delicious, usually russet-skinned Asian cousins of the European pear. They have a crisp, sometimes grainy flesh, and are significantly more juicy than their European counterparts. While they are starting to show up more in US markets, they are still something of a niche item. But among immigrant communities, especially East Asian-descended communities, Asian pears are very much sought-after. It's not unusual to see them in Korean or Chinese supermarkets, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and sold for upwards of five dollars per fruit — especially around holiday times. They are delicious eaten fresh out of hand, but can also be used to make all of the same sorts of processed products that you might make out o