When you happen to buy Niitaka nashi, be sure to check the size!
新高梨について再度投稿します。どの新高梨も同じではないことをお知らせしたいので。昨日、あるスーパーで158円（特価）で一個買い、また別のスーパーでも一個198円（こちらも特価）のを二個買いました。大きさの違いを見て下さい。
新高梨を買う時は、サイズに注意して下さい！
I must say I really like Niitaka nashi! Their mild sweetness and pleasant texture!
新高梨は大好きです！マイルドな甘さ、心地良い食感！
Previous post on Niitaka Nashi/新高梨に関する以前の投稿
Thanks to my own little nashi tree, I had a lot of delicious smaller onces (7-8 cm)- without paying one cent ;-).
ReplyDeleteThe trick to grow such big fellows as displayed in your picture is to reduce the fruits in the beginning, they flower in bundles but only one babyfruit should be left. Than you have to pick all the leaves which could put some shadow on the fruit. The fruits will need a lot of direct sunshine. I once read that japanese farmers wrap each nashi / pear on the trees in paper or some sort of foil to force the fruit to develop a softer peel / skin (maybe they will sing them a lullaby too, little kisses and a hug included).
So the price is acceptable.
I am much harsher with my nashis - poor little fellows ;-)
Kiki or Kiko (doesn't matter because its a nickname)
Kiki: I envy you! I just don't have the right place to plant a single tree in in my small yard.
ReplyDeleteNiitaka is a very big variety; some weigh more than 1 kg. I measured mine; the small one was about 520 g, and one of the big ones was 745 g. I used to like Nijjuseiki when I lived in Tokyo (one of the popular varieties at that time).
According to Wikipedia, the four varieties, Kosui, Hosui, Nijjuseiki, and Niitaka account for 90% of total nashi production (in Japan). Of the four, I like Niitaka the best because it's big (the biggest of the four), is pleasantly sweet, and has a pleasant, cruncy texture.
Japanese fruits are notorious for their hefty prices, but they get the utmost care, which is reflected in their prices. The same Niitaka nashi shown in the post (I mean, the bigger one) is usually sold for 298 yen around here.
As a Japanese, I'm familiar with the practice of wrapping each piece of fruit. (My father grows several varieties of grape, including Kyoho, called the king of grapes, as well as other fruits.) I did some googling to find that a small paper bag is used 30 days after flowering, and is replaced by a bigger one around early July, when the small one breaks open.
I'm going to buy some more Niitaka nashi today. They are sold for 198 yen again today! They are only in season for about 20 days, so I'm going to get as many of them as I can!
I have never seen such big nashis before. My tree would simply crumble and break under these heavy weights, but I will run a test on paperbag pampering next year too.
ReplyDeleteMy nashi tree is a Hosui. Guess it is the only variety which tolerates our cold climate. Nashi trees are quite unknown in germany.
Good luck and enjoy your meal.
Kiki
Kiki: Today, I bought two Niitaka, a bag of mikan, and a basket of kaki (persimmons).
ReplyDeleteHosui is another great variety. It is juicy and sweet!
So, you are one of those very few lucky Germans who know what nashi (Japanese pears) taste like, and their texture!!!