Pêra Rocha do Oeste

This cultivar of the Pyrus communis species, also known as Rocha, hails from the Portuguese municipalities of Leiria, Santarém, and Lisbon. According to legend, the Pera Rocha was discovered by farmer Pedro Antonio Rocha in the town of Obidos north of Lisbon.

Rocha found a pear tree that bore exceptional fruit and shared grafts of the tree with his neighbours and friends, resulting in the rapid spread of the varietal throughout the region. The pears are harvested from August through late September, and the fruit are picked both by hand and mechanically.

Rocha do Oeste pears have an elongated oval shape, a light yellow color, and occasional pink spots. The flesh is white, sweet, soft, and slightly grainy, and the fruit is exceptionally juicy and fragrant. It is a great variety for producing fruit juices, jams, and desserts, such as Pera Rocha cozida em bom vinho – pears boiled in red wine topped with sugar and cinnamon.