Plant of the Week: Asian Pear

Common Name: Asian Pear (Click for picture)
Latin Name: Pyrus pyrifolia
Origin: Asia! (Japan/Korea)

Asian pears are also known as apple pears. They are crunchy and sweet, having a texture more like we would expect of an apple. They are not baked or used much like European pears (the kind we normally eat in the U.S.) because of their texture.

Unlike European pears, Asian pears can be eaten fresh off the tree. (Which in itself is an interesting aside. European pears must be picked and stored before they ripen fully. They won't ripen fully while on the tree.) Asian pears can also be stored for several months and still be good. There are 3 types of Asian pears. They are 1) round or flat fruit with green-to-yellow skin, 2) round or flat fruit with bronze-colored skin and a light bronze-russet, 3) pear-shaped fruit with green or russet skin.