Name: Chinese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), also called Asian pear, nashi pear, or apple pear — all the same species as sold in China under local names such as ya li (duck pear) and xue li (snow pear). Distinct from the European common pear, Pyrus communis.
Description
The Chinese pear is a species native to and long cultivated across China, Japan, and Korea, grown alongside — but genetically separate from — the European pear more familiar in the West. China has cultivated pears for thousands of years and remains by far the world's largest pear producer, growing both this native species and, more recently, European varieties.
Chinese pear varieties range from the crisp, round, russet-brown types most Westerners picture as “Asian pear” to elongated, bottle-shaped varieties such as Ya pear and Dangshan Suli, prized for their very high juice content and mild sweetness. The fruit plays a long-standing role in Chinese cuisine and folk medicine, traditionally eaten to soothe a sore throat or cough, often simmered with rock sugar.
Main nutrition value
Per 100g, raw Chinese/Asian pear:
| Name | Average Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water | 88.2 | g |
| Energy | 42 | kcal |
| Protein | 0.5 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.23 | g |
| Ash | 0.37 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 10.6 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 3.6 | g |
| Sugars, total | 7.05 | g |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca | 4 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 8 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 11 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 121 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 0 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.02 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.05 | mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.06 | mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.1 | µg |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 3.8 | mg |
| Thiamin | 0.009 | mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.01 | mg |
| Niacin | 0.219 | mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.07 | mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.022 | mg |
| Folate, total | 8 | µg |
Chinese pears are mostly water and light on calories, but provide a solid amount of fiber and a useful amount of potassium, with smaller amounts of magnesium and vitamin C.
How best to be consumed
Chinese pears are eaten fresh, chilled, and usually peeled, since the skin can be tough; their high water content makes them a refreshing snack on their own. They are also traditionally simmered into a sweet soup or tea with rock sugar, sometimes with goji berries or pear peel added, as a home remedy for a dry cough or sore throat.
Overconsumption could cause…
Chinese pears are safe in normal amounts, but their fiber and natural sugars can cause bloating or loose stools if eaten in large quantities at once. Their crisp, gritty texture and large bite-sized chunks can pose a choking risk for young children if not cut up first, and the sweetened cooked preparations common in Chinese home remedies add meaningful sugar if eaten often.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central — Pears, asian, raw (FDC ID 168177) [no separate USDA entry for “Chinese pear”; substituted, as Chinese pear is the same species, Pyrus pyrifolia, as the Asian/nashi pear], 100g portion: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168177/nutrients Encyclopaedia Britannica — pear (tree and fruit) [no dedicated Chinese pear article; general pear genus entry used, which names the Chinese pear directly]: https://www.britannica.com/plant/pear
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