high water content and a crisp, grainy texture, very different from the buttery European varieties. Also, Nashi pears are not as intensely sweet, having a more refreshing, light taste. Expensive fruits can be quite potent however, with nuances similar to Korean grapes. However, Nashi pears are often used in cooking, usually in cold sauces or as a garnish, or ground up and added to mixtures.
Nashi pear flowers are white with five petals; they flower around April in the northern hemisphere. They are a popular symbol of spring in East Asia, and are a common sight in gardens or the countryside with the pink or slightly purplish flowers of peach or plum trees.
Also the similar Ya Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) are grown mostly in China.
Culture
In Korea, Nashi pears are grown and consumed in great quantity. Many are exported to the U.S. and sold as gifts, touting the superior quality of pears grown on the peninsula versus those grown in generally Southern California. Imported pears tend to be quite large and very fragrant, and are carefully wrapped, allowing them to last several weeks or more in a cold, dry place, such as a garage.
Because of their relatively high price and the large size of the fruit of cultivars, Nashi pears tend to be served to guests or given as gifts, or eaten together in a family context.
In cooking, ground Nashi pears are used in vinegar or soy sauce-based sauces as a sweetener, instead of sugar. They are also used when marinating meat, especially beef.
In Japan, Nashi pears are harvested in Chiba, Ibaraki, Tottori, Fukushima, Tochigi, Nagano and other prefectures except Okinawa. Nashi may be used as an autumn kigo, or "season word", in writing haiku. Nashi no hana (pear flower) is also used as a kigo of spring.
In China, Nashi pears have been considered a popular and sacred fruit. Many popular sayings have come from the Nashi pear.
In Taiwan, Nashi pears harvested in Japan have become luxurious presents since 1997 and their consumption has jumped.
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