There are thousands of varieties of pears across the globe ... russeted Pyrus pyrifolia (often called Asian, Korean, or Japanese pears) were first cultivated around 3,000 years ago in China ...

There are over 100 varieties of this mildly sweet and juicy ... for winter salads like the one below from Iron Chef and Asian-pear aficionado Masaharu Morimoto. --Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite ...

The Asian palate tends to favor the thousands of pear varieties grown throughout the continent, such as Hosui, Shinseiki, and Nijisseiki, which have a crisper texture akin to apples. These round ...

So, how did an Asian pear orchard end up in the Lehigh Valley ... Today, the farm grows about a dozen varieties, several of which it's patented exclusively.