Pear

Pears are native to Western Asia. From there, they made their way to Greece, then gradually spread throughout the Old World due, in large part, to the assistance of the Romans. In fact, during the time of the Roman Empire, the number of pear varieties cultivated grew from as few as 6 to nearly 60. Pears not only rival the apple in popularity, but the two are actually closely related. Both are members of the rose family and are classified as pome fruits, meaning they have a distinct seeded core. Pears are very low in acid and quite high in minerals; they even outdo the hearty apple in that regard. Pears contain an abundance of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.