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Hosui Nashi Pear

Hosui is the bronze-russet Nashi pear: juicier, sweeter, and the variety Australian backyard growers reach for first. Origin, season, and uses.

By Nashipear.com.au Editorial Updated 3 June 2026

Hosui is the sweeter, juicier Nashi pear most Australian backyard growers plant first. The skin is bronze-russet, the flesh is yellow-white and very juicy, and the flavour is richer and more aromatic than the smooth-skinned Nijisseiki. The cultivar was released in Japan in 1972 from a cross of Kikusui and (Yakumo x Yasato). In Australia, Hosui is grown commercially in the Goulburn Valley and Tasmania, and it is the variety most often recommended for home orchards because the juice yield is high and the fruit eats well even from a young tree.

At a glance

  • Season: February to April, with the peak through March
  • Peel: Bronze-russet, slightly rough, lightly speckled
  • Seeds: Small, in a central core typical of Nashi
  • Flavour: Sweet, juicy, aromatic. Notes of brown sugar and honey
  • Size: Medium to large, apple-shaped, around 250 to 350 grams
  • Best for: Fresh eating, poaching, lunchboxes, juicing, cooked desserts

Season in Australia

Hosui is one of the earlier Australian Nashi varieties. Goulburn Valley fruit starts arriving in late February and runs through March. Tasmanian Hosui follows into April. The variety does not store as long as Nijisseiki or Shinko, so most commercial supply is sold within weeks of picking rather than carried into cold-stored winter retail.

If you are watching the calendar, Hosui sits at the front of the season, with Kosui from the same window, Nijisseiki taking over through April, and Shinko closing out in May. See nashi pear season for the full month-by-month picture.

Flavour, peel, and seeds

Hosui has the highest juice content of the common Australian Nashi varieties. The flesh is yellow-white, more aromatic than Nijisseiki, and noticeably sweeter. The aromatic notes lean towards brown sugar and honey, with a clean finish.

The peel is bronze-russet rather than smooth. The russeting is part of the variety, not a defect. The skin is thin enough to eat unpeeled, although the texture is a touch rougher than Nijisseiki. Seeds sit in a small central core.

Because the flesh is juicier, Hosui bruises more easily than Nijisseiki. Handle the fruit gently in the bag, in the bowl, and on the cutting board.

Where it is grown

Hosui is grown alongside Nijisseiki in the Goulburn Valley (Shepparton, Ardmona, Mooroopna, Tatura), where it makes up a meaningful share of commercial plantings. Tasmanian orchards in the Huon Valley and Tamar Valley grow Hosui for the cooler-climate crisp-juice profile. The Granite Belt in Queensland (Stanthorpe and Applethorpe) also produces small volumes.

For home growers, Hosui is widely available at Australian nurseries on dwarf and standard pear rootstock. Yalca Fruit Trees, Daley’s, Engall’s Nursery, and the Diggers Club all stock the variety for backyard planting.

Origin and history

Hosui was developed at the Fruit Tree Research Station in Japan and released in 1972. The parentage is Kikusui crossed with (Yakumo x Yasato). The name translates roughly as “abundant water”, which captures the variety’s defining feature: a high juice content compared with most other Nashi.

In Australia, Hosui arrived through the commercial nursery and grower trade that built out the Goulburn Valley industry through the 1980s and 1990s. Today it is one of the three or four core varieties in the Australian commercial range alongside Nijisseiki, Shinseiki, and Shinko.

Best uses in the kitchen

Hosui suits both raw and cooked applications:

  • Fresh eating. The high juice content makes Hosui the variety people often nominate as their favourite Nashi.
  • Poaching. Hosui holds together better than a Williams pear but softens enough to take on poaching liquid. Use red wine, vanilla, star anise, or cardamom. The skin gives a faint pink tint to the cooking liquid.
  • Salads. Slice for cheese boards, salads with prosciutto, or rocket with blue cheese and walnuts. The sweetness lifts strong cheese.
  • Tarts and cakes. Slice for a frangipane tart or fold through a polenta or almond cake.
  • Lunchboxes. Whole fruit travels reasonably well. Choose firm fruit to reduce bruising in the bag.
  • Juicing. Higher yield than Nijisseiki. Mix with apple for a sweeter, less acid juice.

How it compares

Hosui vs Nijisseiki. Hosui is bronze-russet, juicier, and sweeter. Nijisseiki is smooth yellow-green, crisper, and more acid-balanced. For a salad where you want clean crunch, choose Nijisseiki. For poaching, juicing, or a lunchbox where juice matters, choose Hosui. See the Nijisseiki nashi pear profile.

Hosui vs Kosui. Kosui is one of the genetic relatives in the Kikusui line that runs through Hosui’s parentage. Kosui is smaller, earlier, and very sweet, but lower yielding in the backyard. Hosui is the better all-rounder.

Hosui vs Williams (Bartlett) pear. Williams is buttery, perfumed, and ripens off the tree. Hosui is crisp-juicy and ripens on the tree. For a poached pear dessert that needs a soft, melting finish, Williams is the classic choice. For a poached Nashi with bite and aromatic juice, Hosui wins. See Nashi pears vs European pears.

Buying and storing

Most Australian supermarket Nashi labelled simply “Nashi” in late February and March is Hosui or a Hosui-and-Kosui blend. Look for:

  • Firm fruit, heavy for its size.
  • Even bronze-russet skin without large soft patches.
  • An intact stem and a clean stem cavity.
  • Mild fragrance at the stem end. Strong fragrance means the fruit is fully ripe and should be eaten within a day or two.

Hosui does not need to ripen further after picking. Store at room temperature for two to three days, or in the fridge crisper for one to two weeks. The juicier flesh means Hosui is more prone to bruising in the bowl, so layer the fruit between paper towels if you are stacking. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods.

Growing it at home

Hosui is the variety most often recommended for Australian backyard growers because the juice yield is high and the fruit eats well from a young tree. The tree suits cool-temperate climates, light frost zones once established, and full sun with deep, well-drained soil.

Hosui needs a cross-pollinator within roughly 30 metres, flowering at the same time. Common pollination partners in Australia are:

  • Nijisseiki Nashi
  • Shinseiki Nashi
  • Williams (Bartlett) European pear

Dwarf-rooted Hosui suits a 50-litre pot or a small backyard. Standard rootstock trees reach 3 to 5 metres. Fertilise in spring with a balanced fruit fertiliser, mulch well, and water deeply through summer. Thin developing fruit if the crop is heavy: removing some young fruit early gives larger, sweeter fruit at harvest.

Codling moth is the main pest of all pears in Australia. Pear and cherry slug attacks young leaves and is the most common backyard problem. Fire blight is a biosecurity issue and reportable. Grafted Hosui trees usually fruit within two to three years.