The History of Pears

Around 5,000 B.C., a Chinese diplomat named Feng Li dedicated himself to cultivating pears. His work led more people to grow and eat pears, too. Pear trees quickly spread across Asia and into Western Europe. Pears quickly caught on in Greece and Rome, so much so that the writer Homer described them as a “gift of the gods.” When Europeans began colonizing America, they brought pear trees with them and began cultivating them on the East Coast. As later generations of settlers traveled westward, they brought pear trees with them. Today, most pears grown in the United States come from Oregon and Washington; the trees thrive in the volcanic soil found there, especially in the areas near Mount Hood and Mount Rainier. While there are thousands of varieties of pears, roughly 10 types make up the majority of pears grown and consumed in the United States. They are: Asian, Anjou, Comice, Concorde, Starkrimson, French Butter, Forelle, Bartlett, Bosc, and Seckel pears. Today, pears are enjoyed fresh or cooked across the U.S. as well as in many other parts of the world.