Photo by John M. Sconzo, M.D. of Frog Hollow Peaches
June 16, 2009
A Park in Parma
by Rocco Verrigni
Pesca
How You Know When a Peach is a Peach
A Park in Parma
by Rocco Verrigni
Pesca
How You Know When a Peach is a Peach
While sitting in a small park in Parma on a very hot late spring afternoon (88°), I discovered the following about how you know when a peach is a peach.
A peach is a peach:
* When you can close your eyes, smell what you are holding and immediately identify it as a peach
* When you can, without effort, split the peach exactly in half by just twisting as if you were opening a bottle or container, without mutilating the fruit
* When the seed pulls out like it were in butter
* When you open it and you see the juice as it sprays into the air and falls silently to the ground
* When, while eating it, the juice oozes from the corners of your mouth and pools onto the bag you are holding on your lap
* When the pooled juice can be drunk from the bag as if drinking a shot glass of peach juice
* When an hour later, you are still enjoying the peach because the sweet aroma of it is still radiating from your hands
* When you know that this is the best peach you have ever had until you have another like it
* When you can, without effort, split the peach exactly in half by just twisting as if you were opening a bottle or container, without mutilating the fruit
* When the seed pulls out like it were in butter
* When you open it and you see the juice as it sprays into the air and falls silently to the ground
* When, while eating it, the juice oozes from the corners of your mouth and pools onto the bag you are holding on your lap
* When the pooled juice can be drunk from the bag as if drinking a shot glass of peach juice
* When an hour later, you are still enjoying the peach because the sweet aroma of it is still radiating from your hands
* When you know that this is the best peach you have ever had until you have another like it
Now, this is when a peach is a peach!
Ed. Note: The fruit in Italy is second to none, though the Frog Hollow peaches I photographed a couple of years ago by me would have qualified for Rocco's definition.
-John
I guess I've never had a peach...
Posted by: Roberto N. | June 18, 2009 at 03:01 PM
It's the little things, Roberto :). When you are used to great peaches it is easy to take them for granted. When you are used to the typical supermarket peach and occasionally come across those in Italy or from farms like Frog Hollow, it is special. A peach as described by Rocco is my favorite fruit - bar none. The sweetness balanced by a bracing acidity and great giving, but firm texture packed with juice and an intoxicating aroma does it for me.
Posted by: John Sconzo | June 19, 2009 at 06:41 PM