Suining SanShui Pears

Suining SanShui Pears

　　Suining SanShui Pears: Introduced from abroad, these pears have now gained fame both domestically and internationally, becoming a renowned specialty of Suining.

　　Suining is one of the most suitable regions for pear cultivation. Historically, local varieties such as “Suining Green Pear” and “Shuihu Zi” were well-known in the areas along the old course of the Yellow River. The results of the provincial fruit tree variety resource survey conducted in the 1980s showed that there were over 170 pear varieties in Suining, accounting for more than half of the total pear varieties in the province, making it the county with the richest pear variety resources in the entire province. To this day, there are still large areas of century-old pear trees in Suining that are in their prime fruit-bearing period—an exceptional sight both within the province and rarely seen across the nation.

　　The soil conditions and light/heat resources in Suining County are highly conducive to pear growth. In recent years, to meet the demands of both domestic and international markets, the county Party committee and government have focused on introducing high-quality Japanese pear varieties. Through the joint efforts of various departments, the area planted with premium SanShui Pears has reached 125,000 mu, among which 36,000 mu of high-standard “SanShui Organic Pear” trellis orchards have been recognized as a national pollution-free fruit production base. To date, “SanShui” pears from Suining have successively registered trademarks such as “Lisheng,” “Nongjia,” and “Xushahe.” In January 2004, “Lisheng” SanShui Pears were awarded the title of “Jiangsu Famous-Brand Product,” and recently, the county was named the “Hometown of Chinese SanShui Pears.”

　　SanShui Pears is a general term for a new generation of Japanese pear varieties. Originally, SanShui Pears referred to three specific varieties: “Shinsei,” “Kosui,” and “Hosui.” Since 1995, a series of high-quality pear varieties have been introduced, tested, demonstrated, and promoted. These varieties share similar external characteristics (round shape, red skin) and quality traits (fine flesh, very few stone cells, and high soluble solids content), leading Suining pear farmers to collectively refer to them as “SanShui Pears.” Their common features include tender, refreshing flesh, an intense sweet flavor reminiscent of honey, and exceptionally juicy texture, making them very popular among Japanese consumers. The authentic SanShui Pear series consists of six varieties, named after the first three cultivated—Shinsei, Kosui, and Hosui—which together are referred to as “SanShui.” A shared advantage of SanShui Pears is the absence of the hard stone cells typically found in other pears, resulting in especially delicate flesh and an outstanding taste.