Juicy and sweet peaches are never a miss; in fact people have loved this lovely summer fruit for centuries! Archaeologists in China discovered that people consumed peaches as far back as 4000 years ago! Evidence suggests that the Chinese people were cultivating the fruit as early on as 6000 BC in Zhejiang Province of China.
From those ancient times peaches made their way westward in the form of cuttings and seedlings, travelling via Persia (present day Iran) to Italy and Spain. In Italy the fruit thrived and rose to such popularity that it became the favourite of various rulers of the Roman Empire! It eventually made it to England and France where it was considered an expensive and prized treat.
The peach was then brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, but commercial production did not begin in America until the 19th century by farmers in Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and finally Virginia. Peaches also became an important crop in Ontario by the 1880's and in British Columbia by the 1890's.
The fruit belongs to the genus Prunus, which includes the cherry, apricot, almond and plum in the rose family. And Peaches and Nectarines are classified scientifically as the same species, although commercially they are regarded as different fruits. There is even a cross between the two fruits called a "Peacherine" which is marketed in Australia and New Zealand!
There are hundreds of different cultivars of peaches. Growers have even gone so far as to differentiate between the ones that separate easily from their pits, called "Freestones", and the ones that don't separate as easily from their pits, called Clingstones.
Peaches are not only a delicious and flavourful fruit, but they are also great for the health!
Peaches are full of antioxidants which may help prevent some cancers as well as potentially improving skin health and reduce inflammation due to UV-B radiation. Peaches might also help eye health, as they contain beta-carotene which plays an important role in maintaining healthy eyesight. Magnesium in peaches may help reduce stress and the dietary fiber in peaches might also help digestion.
Whether you want to get your fill of peaches for health reasons or just because they're delicious, we can help get your fix in a fun way: through tea!
We have three delightful teas which we've created taking inspiration from this venerable fruit.
Our Peach Apricot flavoured black tea combines the intense and fragrant sweetness of both Apricots and Peaches along with a lovely Orange Pekoe grade Ceylon black tea, and creates a tea that you simply can't go wrong with. This tea makes a wonderful all year-round kind of tea as it is just as wonderful hot as it is cold! Psst.. We've also got a decaf version of this tea, so you can drink it all day and still get to sleep at night!
Our Peachy Green tea takes the bright, vegetative, freshness of a Japanese style Sencha green tea and combines it with the summer-y sweetness of peaches and voila! A summer beverage you're sure to love!
And last, but certainly not least our Peaches N' Cream flavoured black tea takes a classic dessert and puts it into tea form! What more could you ask for? All the deliciousness of peaches and cream without the fear of expanding waistlines. Juicy sweetness with smooth creaminess, perfect as a dessert tea or even just because.
