 True Name/ Common Name:
Peach – Prunus persica
Peach is unique in having a sub-genus under prunus in order to connect them with almonds. Persica derives from the mistaken notion that peaches came from Persia, however we now believe they came from china. Description of Look and Flavor:
The tree is 5-10 meters in height and flowers a brilliant pink in the spring time. The fruit is called a “drupe” because of the stone that protects the seed in the center. The skin is either white blushing red or yellow orange blushing red and has a slight fur on it. The flesh is also either orange or white and very sweet with more tang in the orange fleshed. Nectarines are just oddball peaches that happen to be bald. They can be cultivated to grow their own tree which will also produce a couple of hairy peaches here and there. Growth Period/ Harvest –
Peach season begins in the spring and goes until fall, peaking in late summer. Nutritional Info –
They have a modest amount of vitamin A, potassium and vitamin C, but they are a delicious low sodium, zero fat snack. Other Uses –
Peaches are great on the grill. There are all kinds of marinades and recipes for you to be able to enjoy grilled peaches as an entrée themselves, as a complement to pork or seafood, or as a delicious bottom to top with vanilla ice cream and maybe a maraschino cherry. History –
In Queen Victoria’s day no meal was complete without a fresh peach presented in a fancy cotton napkin.
Native American tribes are credited with spreading the peach across the country after the Spanish settlers brought it ashore. Myths and Legends–
In China, they would say the immortals feast on peaches in order to gain longevity. The feast was held every six thousand years, so they must have been potent. Interesting facts/ Misnomers -
On the comedy series, Seinfeld, Kramer drools over the mackinaw peach, but sadly no such peach exists.
Nectarines are not a result of nuclear testing on peaches. Nectarines and peaches are the exact same fruit, one with fuzz and one without. |
