Rocha

Rocha is a small to medium-sized round/ovate pear with pale green to pale yellow skin. It usually has attractive speckled, but smooth, russeting on the thin skin which does not detract from the eating experience. It is sweet and fragrant with white-yellow flesh and can be eaten either crisp or as it softens. This is an ideal pear for lunch boxes due to its size, sweetness and texture.

Good Fruit Guide Rating: ****

Rocha is an excellent pear with good sweetness and flavour.

Crisp or soft, sweet, flavoursome

Names: Rocha

Origin: Production of Rocha has traditionally been restricted to a unique, small area of Portugal, north of Lisbon: the region of Oeste. The variety was probably a chance seedling, discovered in 1836 by Mr. Pedro António Rocha on his farm in the region of Sintra.

Rocha was not much known outside Portugal until the mid-1990’s when, through various marketing campaigns and a shortage of European pears, it became established in European markets. The pear is now grown in a wider area than Oeste but is still very much synonymous with Portugal.

Rocha now has the status of Protected Designation of Origin “Pêra Rocha do Oeste”. This status is managed by the Association of Growers of Rocha Pear (Associação Nacional de Produtores de Pêra Rocha).

Grown in: Portugal, Argentina, UK. Attempts to grow Rocha in other regions have not been particularly successful as it has proved difficult to reproduce the pear’s unique flavour characteristics.

Harvest & Availability: Rocha is harvested in Portugal from mid-August to early September. Rocha has become one of the most consistently available pears during the European season as a result of good eating quality and storage capabilities.

• January: Portugal
• February: Portugal
• March: Portugal
• April: Portugal
• May: Portugal
• June: Portugal
• July: Argentina
• August: Portugal
• September: Portugal
• October: Portugal
• November: Portugal
• December: Portugal

Websites:
www.perarocha.pt – site by Associação Nacional de Produtores de Pêra Rocha