Market Watch: Prime time for Asian pears

Asian pears, like many fruits, are available year-round from storage and imports. But they are really at their best during the heat of late summer and early fall, when their delicate flavor is freshest and a juicy, crunchy fruit straight from the refrigerator is most refreshing. Even though they're often marketed as "apple pears" — which seems plausible, since they're generally round and are eaten firm and crunchy like apples — Asian pears are not hybrids at all, but belong to pear species that are native to Asia, most often Pyrus pyrifolia, and distinct from the European pear, P. communis.

By David Karp, Special to the Los Angeles Times

August 20, 2010