Pesca, Pescanoce

The Mediterranean region, and Italy in particular, seems to be ideal for growing peaches and their cousins the nectarines. The tree was originally brought to the area from Persia by Alexander the Great, but now Italy produces about 80 per cent of Europe’s total consumption, despite being avid consumers of the fruit themselves. There are two major types of peach, although there are many varieties. The first type is Pesca Comune di Pasta Bianca, the common peach, an apple-sized fruit with a thin downy skin and a white, juicy and deliciously scented flesh. The second variety is much like the first but has a yellow flesh and a reddish-yellow skin.