Pera Rocha

Pera Rocha. Simple and beautiful. Foto by Filipe Gill

Many moons ago when I lived in England, one thing I recall with great pride was that one Portuguese fresh product was displayed on supermarkets with a clear and unequivocal identity: Pear ‘Rocha’. I was proud and happy to see something from my country that was not Mateus Rosé!

The fact is that ‘Pera Rocha’ is no ordinary fruit. It is the most famous native Portuguese variety of pear. The story goes back to 1836 when it was first planted on a farm owned by a man named “Rocha”. The rest is history. It has PDO – protected designation of origin – status since 2003

It is an incredibly versatile fruit: you can eat it simply raw. The texture is firm and crunchy; the taste not too strong, with a good balance between acidity and sweetness. You can add it to salads in the Summer – it goes particularly well with blue cheeses like Gorgonzola, Stilton or Roquefort. And you can have it as “Pêra Bêbeda” or Drunk Pear, where you cook the whole pear in red wine, sugar and a stick of cinnamon.

For further information visit the official website