Kumoi is a popular Asian pear, noted for the very attractive golden russet fruits.
The bright white flesh is firm and crisp, with a very sweet flavour.
Next deliveries: December 2024 - February 2025
Kumoi is reasonably self-fertile. It flowers relatively early in the pear blossom season, and can also be pollinated by some of the earlier-flowering European pears, such as Louise Bonne.
As with all Asian pears, Kumoi does best if planted in full sun. Be sure to thin the fruitlets in June, this will ensure you get larger pears, and will also avoid over-straining the branches.
Asian pears, or Nashi pears, belong to the species Pyrus pyrifolia and are closely related to our more common European pears (Pyrus communis).
Despite the close relation, Asian pears have a very different character to European pears. They have a spherical shape, more like an apple than a pear. The flesh is also crisp like an apple.
The fruits are delicate and bruise easily, and hence are not often available in shops, so growing them at home is a good idea. They are usually eaten fresh (and usually peeled), and have a distinctive very sweet flavour, with little or no acidity. The fruits and can be stored in a fridge for a couple of months, or dried or frozen.
Like apples, and unlike most European pears, Asian pears are picked when they are ripe (European pears must usually be picked before they are ripe). Conversely, Asian pears cannot be picked before they are ripe because they will not continue to ripen after picking - another reason why these fruits are rarely available for sale.
Although the fruits may be very different, Asian or Nashi pears grow in a similar way to European pears, and if you have a location which is good for European pears it will also be suitable for Asian pears. Furthermore, Asian and European pears will often cross-pollinate if they are in flower at the same time.
This variety description was researched and written by Orange Pippin staff. Last checked: 2024.