Peaches and Nectarines

The peach and its smooth-skinned form, the nectarine, were once thought to be native to Persia since the Romans first imported the peach from Persia, giving rise to its botanical name, Prunus persica. In fact, the fruit originated in China, where as early as 550 BCE it was depicted in art and literature as a symbol of immortality. It still grows wild in eastern Asia, exhibiting many of the variant forms found in modern cultivars, including freestone and clingstone, white, yellow, and red-fleshed types. From south China comes the pen-t’ao, or flat-shaped peach, as well as the mi-t’ao, or honey peach, with its very sweet, low-acid flavor. Nectarines were less common in China proper but flourished in eastern Turkestan, an early extension of the peach’s natural range. The Romans spread the peach throughout their empire, especially around the Mediterranean, where warm to hot summers favor ripening.