Round to heart shaped fruit that is bright orange when ripe, thin skinned and with an orange flesh. They feature a green, dry calyx at the stem end. Spicy and sweet flavour that is reminiscent of mango or papaw. Depends on the variety, eat fresh like an apple or used in ice creams, cakes, jams and fruit salad.
Varieties include:
Astringent (bitter): Do not lose bitterness until soft and ripe. Include: Flat seedless, Hiratenenashik, Hachiya, Tane-Nashi and Dai Dai Maru.
Non-astringent (sweet): often referred to as Fuji fruit. Loose bitterness when mature and fruit is still firm. Include: Maekawa,l Jiro, Fuyu, Izu, Matsumoto Wase, Fuyu and Suruga.
Selection:
Select plump fruit that is firm, well coloured and shows no sign of bruising or skin damage.
It is essential to distinguish between astringent and non-astringent varieties. Only non-astringent varieties can be eaten sweet and crunchy.
Storage:
Ripen astringent varieties at room temperature and store in refrigerator. Non-astringent varieties keep quite well at room temperature but may be chilled for eating.