Basic Introduction to Kurla Pear
The Kurla Pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis yu) is known in the Uyghur language as Naximit or Naxiputi. It is native to the southern Xinjiang region, particularly in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture and Aksu, where it has been cultivated for over 1,300 years, making it an ancient and excellent local variety. The city of Kurla in Bayingolin has the largest planting area, covering around 24,000 mu (approximately 16 square kilometers), with an annual yield exceeding one thousand tons. It is exported to countries and regions such as the United States, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau. This variety is named for its superior quality, and the Kurla Pear is a highly regional and exceptional variety, considered one of the best local pear varieties in the region and the country.
Nutritional Value
The Kurla Pear is high in nutritional value, containing sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and various carbohydrates at 14%, with water content at 86%. Its sugar content is 10%, acid at 0.03%, and ash at 0.12%. In every 100 grams of Kurla Pear, there is approximately 4.3 milligrams of Vitamin C, along with glucose, fruit acids, and multiple trace elements, with 83.6% of the fruit being edible. In addition to being eaten fresh, the Kurla Pear can be used to make pear wine, pear paste, and other related foods. It also has medicinal properties such as “moistening the lungs, cooling the heart, eliminating phlegm, reducing inflammation, relieving coughs, and detoxifying sores and alcohol poisoning.” It is commonly used in Uyghur and Mongolian medicine as a dietary remedy.
Historical and Folklore
Historical Anecdote
According to historians, this pear was brought from the inland areas to Xinjiang by Zhang Qian during the Western Han Dynasty, which was more than 2,000 years ago. Additionally, “The Records of the Western Regions” by Tang Dynasty records: “In Agni (present-day Yanqi), irrigation is used for farming, and the soil is suitable for millet, wheat, fragrant dates, grapes, pears, and other fruits.” In his “Miscellaneous Poems of Xinjiang,” Xiao Xiong, a staff member of General Zhang Yao during the Qing Western Expedition, praised the Kurla Pear with the lines: “Ten thousand pear trees hang heavy with fruit, most fittingly planted in the Jade Pool; outside the city of Yanqi, a thousand pear trees stand, none less remarkable than the famous Ai family's pears.” In ancient times, Kurla belonged to the kingdom of Yanqi, so the “thousand pear trees outside Yanqi” mentioned in this poem refers to the current Kurla Pears. In the self-explanatory notes to this poem, Xiao Xiong speaks highly of the Kurla Pear: “There is only one type that is slightly smaller and longer, with thin skin and abundant flesh, fine core, sweet and full of juice, melting in the mouth. Of all the pears I have ever tasted, this is the finest.” He compares the Kurla Pear to the most famous “Ai family's pears” in Chinese history, giving it the highest praise.
Related Legend
The fragrant pear is called “Naximuti” in Uyghur, meaning “aromatic pear.” There is a beautiful legend about the Kurla Pear that circulates locally. According to the legend, in ancient times, there was a smart and beautiful girl named Ailiman in Kurla. To enable her fellow villagers living on the edge of the desert to eat pears, she fearlessly rode a donkey eastward across many mountains, visiting numerous places, and using many donkeys, importing many pear trees for local cultivation. Ailiman grafted these pear trees with local wild pears, and only one tree survived the grafting. When the pears on that tree ripened, their fragrance filled the air, and people joyfully called them “Naximuti.” When a landlord (Bai) heard about this, he offered gold and silver to buy the tree and prohibited the sharing of cultivation techniques. The girl refused the landlord's demands, and in anger, he ordered his henchmen to cut down the pear tree and kill the girl. However, the following year, new shoots grew from the felled tree. Afraid that the landlord would come to seize it again, the villagers immediately moved the tree. Thus, the Kurla Pear became widely cultivated.
Awards and Honors
The Kurla Pear was introduced to India via the Silk Road during the Han and Tang dynasties and was hailed as the “Holy Fruit of the West.” At the 1924 Paris International Exposition, among 1,432 pear entries, it ranked second only to the French White Pear, winning a silver medal and being hailed as the “Queen of Pears.” Since 1950, the Kurla Pear has won first place multiple times in national fruit competitions, ranking first at the National Pear Production Conference in 1957 and being recognized as a national premium fruit in 1985. At the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition, the Kurla Pear won a gold medal. Since entering international markets in 1987, it has remained popular. In September 1986, after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom ate the Kurla Pear at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, she nodded frequently and exclaimed, “Truly the prince of fruits!” Since then, the Kurla Pear has been designated as a premium fruit for entertaining distinguished guests.