Pears: Nashi and Li

Close relatives of the pear are the nashi of Japan and the li of China, complex hybrids of several centuries’ standing between the species Pyrus pyrifolia, P. ussuriensis, and P. bretschneideri, quite distinct from both pear and apple. The nashi are round, coarse, and juicy fruits of late summer and autumn—often with more or less russet skin, which is invariably peeled before consumption of the fruit. The flavor of nashi is refreshing but rarely complex and quite ruined by heat, so the fruit has no culinary use except as a canned product. Favorite varieties are Nijiseiki (Twentieth Century), Shinseiki (New Century), and Hosui. Both nashi and li are produced and common in California, whence they are despatched to Asian markets elsewhere in America. The fruits of li are elongated and pear-shaped, with clear green to yellow skin. Li are the nearest rivals to apples in the world production of fruits. Practically unknown outside China, where they are ubiquitous, li (in the forms Ya Li and Tsu Li) are grown in the Western world chiefly in California. Nashi and li are unflatteringly called “apple pears” and “sand pears” in the rest of the United States.