Pyrus

 The pear is any fruits of the species of the genus Pyrus, a group of trees in the rose family closely related to the apples. Pear trees are indigenous to coastal or mild climates throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. The quality of edibility varies from species to species, with some, such as the fruit of the Manchurian Pear, P. ussuriensis, that become palatable only after bletting, and others, such as those of the Chinese, and European Pears, P. pyrifolia and P. communis, respectively, which have thousands of delicious cultivars that can be eaten raw, in addition to being used extensively in cooking.

Pears, primarily those of the species P. communis, have been eaten and domesticated for thousands of years. The Romans had developed numerous recipes to cook pears as a sweet for feasts. Stewing in honey and spices remains an especially popular method. In later European cuisines, pears would often be cooked in sugar and sweet wine as a dessert, or have the crushed fruit fermented to make perry wine or pear cider. Today, pears are eaten raw, preserved, or stewed. In China, two species, the Chinese Pear and the Chinese White Pear, P. pyrifolia and P. x bretschneideri, are used in cuisine and therapy. The fruit of both species are delicate, and bruise easily; as such, they are difficult to transport beyond the areas where they are grown. Even so, these pears are often given as gifts in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cultures. The fruit are eaten raw, or are cored, filled with honey, and steamed in a manner reminiscent of Roman-style honey-stewing.