Pêra Rocha

Portugal grown 'Rocha' Pear

Pêra Rocha (Rocha Pear) is a native Portuguese variety of pear. The earliest account of the Rocha variety dates from 1836, in the Sintra municipality. This variety was casually obtained from a seed, on Pedro António Rocha's farm. The variety derives its name from his family name. The Rocha pear is produced in several places in Portugal. The production area is over 100 km² and there are about 9,450 producers.^[1]

Pêra Rocha do Oeste DOP

Rocha Pear produced in the Oeste region of Portugal has a PDO status since 2003.^[2] It is the most renowned, being a product with specific characteristics:

• Size: medium 55 mm to 75 mm
• Format: oval, piriform
• Skin: fine and smooth
• Colour: yellow and green
• Russeting: typical around peduncle
• Pulp Colour: white
• Pulp: hard and firm, crunchy, juicy and sweet
• 'Rocha' pear is very sensitive to pear scab (Venturia pirina) and also to Stemphylium vesicarium.

Over 13,520,000 kg of Oeste’s Rocha Pear was exported in 2004 to countries like Britain, Brazil, France, Ireland, Russia, Poland, the Netherlands, Canada and Spain.

See also

• List of Portugal Fresh fruits with protected status

References

1. ↑ J.M. Silva, N.G. Barba, M.T. Barros, A. Torres-Paulo (2005-04-30). "Rocha’, the Pear from Portugal". Acta Hort. (ISHS) 671. pp. 219–222. Retrieved 2010-09-15. 
2. ↑ Pêra Rocha do Oeste in the DOOR database of the European Union. Retrieved 2014-03-16.

Pyrus Cultivars Perry Bosc Pear Chinese pear Chinese White Pear Choke pear Conference pear D'Anjou Endicott Pear Tree European Pear Harovin Sundown Le Conte pear Pêra Rocha Stinking Bishop pear Warden pear Williams pear Species P. amygdaliformis P. anatolica P. armeniacifolia P. boissieriana P. bourgaeana P. calleryana P. communis P. elaeagrifolia P. hakkiarica P. nivalis P. oxyprion P. pyrifolia P. salicifolia P. serikensis P. ussuriensis Natural hybrids Pyrus × bretschneideri Pyrus × sinkiangensis Pyrus × phaeocarpa Pyrus × serrulata Category