The pear (Pyrus communis L.) is a typical fruit of temperate regions, having its origin and domestication at two different points, China and Asia Minor until the Middle East. It is the fifth most widely produced fruit in the world, being produced mainly in China, Europe, and the United States. Pear belongs to rosaceous family, being a close “cousin” of the apple, but with some particularities that make this fruit special with a delicate flavor. Thus, it deserves a special attention and a meticulous review of all the history involved, and the recent research devoted to it, because of the economic and cultural importance of this fruit in a range of countries and cultures. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to approach the history of the origin, domestication, and dispersal of pears, as well as reporting their botany, their current scenario in the world, and their breeding and conservation. 1. Introduction Pear, a typical fruit of temperate climates, with delicate pleasant taste and smooth, has a wide acceptance throughout the world. By its shape, it inspires designers and architects. The fruit pleases generations; already in 1661, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, lawyer and botanist, responsible for the gardens of the Versailles palace, passionate about the cultivation of pears, wrote in reports: “It must be confessed that, among all fruits in this place, nature does not show anything so beautiful nor so noble as this pear. It is pear that makes the greatest honor on the tables…” The pear is mainly consumed in natura, pies, cakes, accompanying strong cheese or carpaccio, risotto, jams, and ice creams and is a great fruit to be consumed in diets because of its low caloric value. It has high nutritional value with reasonable amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and C and minerals like sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and iron. It has a lot of fiber, giving excellent results in the treatment of constipation and intestine inflammation. Many recommend pears to cure anomalies such as cystitis and kidney stones [1]. Belonging to the genus Pyrus, which originated in the Tertiary period, in Western China, the pear had its dispersion from northern Italy, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia, Germany, Greece, Moldova, and Ukraine to the East, in countries such as Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Japan, Korea, and Bhutan. Commercially, it is divided into two major groups: European and Asian pears. The first, with elongated and full-bodied texture, and the second, with sandy texture and rounded body, make this fruit the ninth in world production,
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