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, shoppers are more used to the many varieties, while in Western Russia – which is nine time zones away – they are still becoming familiar.  In a sea of green pears in the produce department, pears like the Red Anjou (like Anjoulina above, at the Church on the Spilled Blood) catch attention.  Of course they are delicious to eat fresh, but they also add color and flavor to any recipe!