Van-Whole Produce

The texture and flavour of Asian pear is different from the European pear; Asian pear includes a group of pears which are crispy and juicy. They do not change texture after picking or storing in a cold storage, so they are ready to eat any time after they are harvested. Asian pears have been grown commercially in Asia for centuries; nowadays, countries such as, China, Korea and Japan grow pears for domestic consumption, and also for export to other countries, includes Canada and United States. There are 3 types of Asian pears; the first type is a round fruit with green-to-yellow skin, an example of this would be a Ya Pear; the second type is a round fruit with bronze-colored skin and light bronze-russet, the examples would be the Yuan Huang Pear and Singo Pear; and the third type is a pear-shaped fruit with green or russet skin, the best example of this type of pear would be the Fragrant Pear. They are at their prime quality when they ripen on the tree, and their ripening time varies. These pears are usually firm to touch when ripe; they are crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet with some tartness near the core when they are ripe and ready to eat. Tress of some varieties can tolerate the cold to about -20°F; and the rootstock of some of the varieties can tolerate temperature as low as -40°F. One of the biggest challenges for Asian pear farming would be the protection of the fruit’s tender skin during harvesting and transportation. Therefore, a lot of wrapping materials and paddings are used in the picking buckets and the fruit storing containers to minimize bruising and brown marking on the fruits.

Nutritional Facts

Asian pear contains no fat, cholesterol or saturated fat. A medium-sized Asian pear contains about 50 calories. It is a good source of fiber if it is consumed with the skin; and it is also a good choice for people who are on low-carb diets because of its low carbohydrates content. In comparison to European pear, Asian pear has a slightly higher amount of Vitamin C.