Pear Buddies Around the World: Taiwan

Perry and Anjoulina recently accompanied me on a visit to Taipei, Taiwan. In between meetings and market visits, we stopped briefly at a traditional Chinese tea house and had time for a photo op at Taipei 101 – an impressive sight as the world’s third tallest skyscraper. Even though Taiwan shoppers are more used to the more crunchy Asian pear varieties, it is still an important market for red skinned pears, as red is an auspicious color in Taiwanese culture. The vibrant Starkrimson and maroon Red Anjou are unique, sweet treats in a country full of what we in the U.S. consider to be exotic fruits! In addition to supermarkets, there are many fruit shops and vendors where fresh fruits are found. We also visited the wholesale market in Taipei, where the owners choose the fruits to sell in their Continue reading

Standing Out in Russia

I just returned from a trip to St. Petersburg, in Western Russia.  Russia is a large market for USA Pears – and competes with Brazil every year to be either third or fourth place after Mexico and Canada.  The weather was clear and the city was beautiful, but it was freezing.  More accurately, below freezing.  At one point it reached -13 degrees Fahrenheit.  A bit of a shock for someone like me, who has only known the fairly mild winters of the Pacific Northwest!  But I would consider this to be part of the true Russian experience. Russia imports pears from all over the world, in addition to the U.S.  So how do USA Pears stand out on the shelves at the grocery store?  One way is through the multiple varieties and colors of USA Pears.  In the Russian Far East, Continue reading

New Season Prep

Here at Pear Bureau HQ, the warehouse holds all of our USA Pear promotional materials: from signs and posters that are sent to grocery stores to brochures and recipe handouts.  And everything in between!  Before harvest, as we’re getting ready for the new season, we put together shipments of all these goodies to send to 39 countries around the world. These little guys are on their way to Russia as we speak!  They’ll be used as giveaways at the grocery store or handed out to kids during school activities.  We often hear stories about shoppers that come back, year after year, asking for Pear Buddies when they buy their USA Pears at the grocery store.  Pear Buddy collections have been spotted sitting in the back window of cars, hanging from backpacks, and lined up on desks at offices. You, too, can peruse Continue reading

Little Pear in the Big Apple

While Epicurious Entertained NYC, Anjoulina found a little time for sightseeing in Manhattan. Just in case it’s not obvious, Anjoulina is a Red Anjou pear – recently harvested and fresh at the grocery stores now!  Red Anjou pears are sweet and juicy, and add gorgeous color to any recipe – from salads and desserts to main courses.  Be sure to Check the Neck for Ripeness to get the best eating experience! And speaking of Epicurious – don’t forget to enter our recipe contest!  Visit the contest site to learn all about USA Pears and submit your culinary masterpiece for a chance to win a spa getaway for two to Oregon wine country! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Bosco Sails the South China Sea

On my last day in Hong Kong, I grabbed Bosco and took a ride on the Star Ferry across the incredible Victoria Harbour.  The 10-minute ride cost me only 2.50 Hong Kong Dollars, which is about $0.32 in the U.S. (Bosco rode free), and provided spectacular views of the impressive city skyline. In Hong Kong, the wet market is a popular place to buy fresh foods, fruits, and vegetables, which of course includes pears!  The name comes from the fact that the floors are typically sprayed down with water to keep things clean.  There are many stalls, each offering an assortment of products.  Customers are looking for freshness, quality, and more variety than what is usually found in a grocery store.  The indoor market that I visited also provided air conditioning – a nice break from the humidity! Facebook Twitter Continue reading

Dreaming of Summer Vacation

Here at USA Pear headquarters, it’s hard to imagine that summer is just around the corner.  Oregon is breaking rain records left and right, and Portland has already experienced the wettest June in history – and it’s only halfway through the month. So, in daydreaming of a sunny summer vacation, I flipped through the photo albums of our USA Pear Buddies’ international travels.  While our USA Pear varieties can be found in grocery stores around the world, Perry, Anjoulina, Barty, and Bosco have also visited some of the tourist hot spots. Are you planning any exciting summer travels?  Try taking a USA Pear Buddy along for some interesting snapshots – they’re much cuter (and easier to carry) than one of those traveling gnomes! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

USA Pears Go to Washington

Even though it’s tempting to keep our delicious USA Pears to ourselves here in the U.S., we know that it’s impolite not to share!  That’s why we work to make sure that USA Pears are available around the world so that as many people as possible can enjoy.  We have representatives working in 38 countries so that people like you can buy USA Pears at local supermarkets, traditional markets and fruit shops across the globe. Last week we held meetings in Washington, DC, inviting 24 of our representatives from 18 different countries to visit our nation’s capital city and discuss USA Pears.  It also provided the opportunity to meet with all of these wonderful people, old and new friends in the USA Pear family.  We even had a special guest join us for a group photo op on Capitol Hill Continue reading