Peach has appeal all over world

Hilde G. Lee Daily Progress correspondent
Published: August 19, 2008

Have you noticed that many of the peaches this year have rather smooth skins? Have food botanists, through breeding, eliminated that typical fuzz of the peach?

Most of us eat our peaches skinned. I have tried to eat the peach with the skin on, but the fuzz tickles my nose. The peach has mystical powers in China and I have wondered what role the soft fuzzy skin has played in the creation of this phenomenon.

In the late 1970s the body of a Chinese woman who was buried in the second century B.C. was discovered in Hunan province. This was considered to be quite an unusual occurrence because the body was almost in perfect condition with no embalming. The Chinese, at the time, rightly believed that peaches eaten just before death would preserve the body until the end of the world.

In China the peach was and still is the object of poets, sculptors, and painters for they believe it is the symbol of immortality, even though it grows on a short-lived tree (about 8 to 10 years). Friends give each other peaches, real or in porcelain, to show their affection. Chinese writings contain references to the peach, dating from 2000 B.C.

Peaches on the wild side

According to food historians peach trees are said to have been growing wild in China as early as the fifth century. Chinese wild peach trees are usually gnarled and squat. Their fruit is small and the pit large, but the yellow flesh is exquisite in flavor. Chinese peach trees bred true from seed, which is not the case for peach trees anywhere else in the world. Thus, except in China, all peaches are believed to be hybrids.

Very early in civilized history the peach was introduced into Europe by way of Persia. When the Romans first started using them they called peaches “Persian plums” or “Persian apples.”

In medieval times, peaches grown locally in more northern climates were small and not very good. There also were a lot of regions in the Mediterranean where peaches did not flourish because the climate was too warm in winter. It was discovered that peach trees like a two-month period of winter cold in order to work up strength for the following spring’s leaves, flowers and fruit.

The royal treatment

Louis XIV probably was responsible for popularizing the peach in France, although it had been growing there since the 13th century. It is reported that he liked the fruit so much and was so impatient to eat it that whenever a bowl of peaches was placed before him he ate the fruit without peeling them, ignoring the unpalatability of their fuzzy skin. Louis XIV granted a pension to a man who grew peaches for him in his orchard outside of Paris.

The fondness for peaches was a taste that American Indians shared with Louis XIV. The Spaniards brought peaches to the New World, where the Creeks and Seminoles liked them very much. The Natchez named one of their 13 months for the peach. Peaches passed from tribe to tribe faster than did the white settlers. It reached as far north as the Susquehanna Indians of Pennsylvania and also the Indians of Massachusetts.

When the English settlers reached Jamestown, they found peach trees already growing. Peach orchards were quickly planted throughout the colonies along the eastern seaboard.

Thomas Jefferson planted some European peach stones at Monticello in 1802. They were not from France, but had been sent to him by his friend Philip Mazzei from Pisa, Italy.

Peaches were eaten raw and baked into pies and cobblers, and some were dried for winter use. Another method of preservation was the making of peach brandy. Today the cultivation of peaches in the United States is second only to that of apples.

To be at its best, a peach has to ripen on the tree. Freshly picked ripe peaches are so good that it seems a shame to cook them.

Peaches survive being canned better than most fruits. The flavor is altered, but is still good. The canning industry now uses most of the world production of peaches.

There is nothing as refreshing on a warm August day than a chilled Peach Soup. Simple to prepare, this soup can be made a day ahead of serving.

Peach Soup

2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ to 1/3 cup sugar, depending on tartness of peaches

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup whipping cream

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Immediately after slicing peaches sprinkle them with the lemon juice.

Place the peaches, sugar and wine in a medium-sized saucepan. Slowly bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until peaches start to soften. Add cream and continue to simmer slowly for another 10 minutes.

Place mixture in a food processor and process until smooth. Chill. Garnish each serving with a mint leaf. Serves 4 to 6.