Native to China, the peach is a juicy edible fruit. It is a drupe, ie has a stone, like plums and nectarines and so on. It may have either white or yellow flesh, which is generally more acidic, and slightly velvety skin. It is larger than an apricot. The trees are thought to have been introduced from China to Persia and the Mediterranean along the Silk Road in pre-Christian times. Balzac held peaches in high esteem for their jam (US: jelly).
