Steeped in Legend, Celebrated in Myth
Our Story
The year is 300 B.C.
On the mist-shrouded hillsides of the Far East, fertile orchards bear a wonderful fruit of unparalleled flavor and texture. Originally descended from roses, the fruit’s intoxicating fragrance still carries notes of its floral ancestry.
So distinctive and unforgettable is the fruit that it becomes steeped in legend and celebrated in myth. Through tradition and verse, it becomes a symbol of beauty and longevity. To those who partake of its flavor is ascribed great wisdom and intellect.
This is the birthplace of the Asian Pear.
Centuries pass...
The Asian Pear is a well-kept secret of the world's great chefs, of royalty, and discerning gourmets. Children love it equally.
Firm when ripe and a sandy brown, it bears little in common with the European pear. It takes on new nicknames: "apple pear" for its shape, and "sand pear" for its color.
In time, the uncommon fruit travels to the New World and gathers new admirers.
The year is 1973.
While on business in Japan, Joel Spira, the American inventor and founder of Lutron Electronics Co., receives a gift of the legendary fruit and is enchanted by its incomparable flavor.
Upon returning home to Pennsylvania, he endeavors to grow Asian Pears himself. His wife, Ruth, a botanist, joins the undertaking. In 1984, with the guidance of experts from around the world, the Spiras begin their own orchard in Pennsylvania's fertile Lehigh Valley. They develop and patent seven varieties of Asian Pear, each supremely juicy, crisp, and sweet.
Subarashii Kudamono, which means "wonderful fruit" in Japanese, is born.
The year is the present.
The dream now measures in thriving and bountiful trees in the Subarashii Kudamono orchards, where fine fruit, unblemished and perfectly shaped, hangs from the branches each autumn.
Today, after a journey that transcends thousands of years, these gourmet Asian Pears are ready for you to discover their wonder.
