Nashi pear – varieties, preparation, storage, nutritional values, and health benefits
When people named the Nashi pear, it seems that they wanted to make it especially clear what it was. “Nashi” is the Japanese word for “pear” – so the fruit is called pear-pear. Sweet, refreshing, and low in calories, it not only tastes great, but also offers real health benefits. This article tells you everything you need to know about the Nashi pear: From its varieties and how it grows to its preparation and nutritional values – discover the diverse nature of this special fruit.
Storage time*
| BioFresh Fruit & Vegetable safe just above 0 °C with high humidity | 115 days |
| EasyFresh safe 7 °C with air regulation plate | 60 days |
| Fridge compartment 7 °C | 48 days |
| Freezer compartment -18 °C | 12 Months |
The key points
- Popular varieties: ‘Nijisseiki’ (yellow-green, resilient), ‘Hosui’ (bronze), ‘Kosui’ (yellow-brown), ‘Shinseiki’ (light yellow) and ‘Benita’ (aromatic, hybrid cross)
- Wide variety of uses: Raw with or without the skin, in salads, compotes, game dishes; less suitable for baking or for jam.
- Shelf life: Two weeks at room temperature, four to six weeks chilled, BioFresh Fruit & Vegetable safe up to 115 days
- Nutritional values: Low in calories (32 kcal/100 g), rich in nutrients: vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fibre
- Health: Supports digestion, stabilises blood sugar level, and has a cooling and moisturising effect according to TCM
- Sustainability: High impact on the environment due to long transport, energy-intensive cooling, and plastic packaging
What varieties of Nashi pear are there?
The most popular varieties of Nashi pear include ‘Nijisseiki’, ‘Hosui’, ‘Kosui’, ‘Shinseiki’, and ‘Benita’. Each variety differs in its colour, flavour, and adaptability, so there’s something to suit different preferences and climatic conditions.
The ‘Nijisseiki’ variety is particularly sought after for its resilience and yellow-green fruit because it thrives in gardens in Central Europe. ‘Hosui’ produces bronze-coloured fruit, while ‘Kosui’ is renowned for its large, yellow-brown pears. The ‘Shinseiki’ variety stands out with its smooth, light yellow skin. An exceptionally aromatic choice is ‘Benita’, a Swiss cross of European and Japanese pears that combines the characteristic properties of both types of fruit.
How can Nashi pears be prepared?
Nashi pears can be enjoyed raw as a snack or in salads and add a refreshing note to many dishes with their sweet and sour flavour. In warm dishes, they also make an impressive side dish or counterpart to balance strong flavours, but their water content means they only have limited suitability for baking or jams.
People who love raw food particularly enjoy eating Nashi pears in fruit or raw vegetable salads, where they go really well with cheese like camembert, gorgonzola, or goat’s cheese. In warm dishes, they add a refined touch to autumnal salads with walnuts and radicchio, are a great accompaniment to game dishes, or add a fruity flavour to curries. Despite their thin, edible skin, it can make sense to peel the fruit, especially if it’s delicate, so you can enjoy the juicy flesh in full. The core is removed for processing, and the fruit is perfect for making compote, puree, or fresh drinks – despite its limited suitability for jams or baking.
What’s the correct way to store Nashi pears?
Nashi pears will stay fresh for around two weeks at room temperature. In cool and dry conditions, such as in a fridge or cellar, their shelf life can be extended to as long as six weeks. Fruit that has been cut open should be eaten quickly or drizzled with lemon juice to prevent it turning brown.
For optimum storage, it’s advisable to choose a cool place, as the fruit will stay fresh for longer and retain its sweet and sour taste better. Modern systems for keeping food fresh, such as the BioFresh Fruit & Vegetable safe in Liebherr fridges, will increase the shelf life to as long as 115 days.
It’s advisable to protect the delicate fruit from any pressure, as their thin skin can easily be damaged. A chilled Nashi not only tastes fresher, but will also perfectly develop its typically refreshing aroma.
What’s the correct way to store Nashi pears?
Nashi pears will stay fresh for around two weeks at room temperature. In cool and dry conditions, such as in a fridge or cellar, their shelf life can be extended to as long as six weeks. Fruit that has been cut open should be eaten quickly or drizzled with lemon juice to prevent it turning brown.
For optimum storage, it’s advisable to choose a cool place, as the fruit will stay fresh for longer and retain its sweet and sour taste better. Modern systems for keeping food fresh, such as the BioFresh Fruit & Vegetable safe in Liebherr fridges, will increase the shelf life to as long as 115 days.
It’s advisable to protect the delicate fruit from any pressure, as their thin skin can easily be damaged. A chilled Nashi not only tastes fresher, but will also perfectly develop its typically refreshing aroma.
What are the nutritional values of the Nashi pear?
The Nashi pear not only tastes great, but is low in calories at the same time. With only 32 kilocalories per 100 grams, it’s an ideal part of a healthy diet. The fruit provides a number of valuable nutrients. In addition to vitamins like vitamin C, A, and K, it contains B vitamins and potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus.
| Energy | Water content | Carbohydrates | Fat | Protein | Fibre |
| 32 kcal | 82% | 8 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 g |
| Vitamin | 100 g contains | Minerals | 100 g contains |
| Vitamin C | 2 mg | Potassium | 121 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 20 µg | Calcium | 4 mg |
| Folic acid | 8 µg | Magnesium | 35 mg |
| Vitamin K | 4.5 µg | Phosphorus | 11 mg |
How healthy are Nashi pears?
Nashi pears deliver health benefits as they are rich in fibre and vitamins and have a low glycaemic index. They support digestion, help stabilise the blood sugar level, and are also very suitable for diabetics.
The fibre in the fruit promotes healthy intestinal function and can counteract constipation. At the same time, its low glycaemic index ensures that the blood sugar level remains constant and rises slowly. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Nashi pears are prized for their cooling and moisturising properties, especially for treating respiratory problems like coughs, colds, or dry mucous membranes. TCM ascribes them the ability to loosen mucus and get rid of excess body heat, making them an ideal home remedy for treating ailments like this.
How sustainable are Nashi pears?
The sustainability of Nashi pears is judged critically, as growing and transporting them produces high CO₂ emissions. Long, refrigerated transport from the main areas in which they’re grown and the use of plastic foam nets for packaging bring additional environmental burden.
As the delicate fruits can only be harvested when ripe, expensive refrigeration is required, during both storage and transportation, which significantly increases energy consumption. In addition, the standard plastic packaging creates further consumption of resources and waste. For a more sustainable choice, it’s advisable to buy Nashi pears only in moderation and preferably from local growing regions or with organic quality. This supports more eco-friendly growing methods and reduces the impact on the environment.
*All specifications given are to be considered as guideline values, and depend in each case on the type of food and on the proper storage without interruption of the cold chain from harvest/production through to the Liebherr appliance. Should food products have information about minimum shelf life, the date on the packaging always applies.
This text has been machine translated from English.