August 18, 2025

Many Indians don’t see the point of peaches. They look pretty—golden-red with soft fuzz—but often taste more sour than sweet. And why choose peaches when we have the mighty mango, India’s favorite fruit? But in cooler countries, peaches are loved. Famous writers like TS Eliot and Alice Walker even praised them. The movie Call Me By Your Name made a peach scene famous! Still, many wonder how unforgettable those moments would be with mangoes instead. Peaches do have a superpower in cooking. Mango desserts often waste the fruit’s natural yumminess, but peach jam tastes perfect because its sharpness balances the sugar just right. Peaches poached with sugar and cloves or baked in pies taste amazing. I once asked our cook Urmila to make a Goa-style fruit curry, or sansav, with some sour peaches instead of mangoes. The result? “Amazing!” said everyone. So, mangoes rule raw eating, but peaches shine when cooked. Then came the flat peach—also called Saturn, UFO, or doughnut peach for its funny shape. I first found these in Mumbai’s bustling Crawford Market, where a vendor shouted, “Woh jalebi peach dena!” Jalebi peaches? Yes! They burst with juicy, tangy sweetness that surprises your taste buds. You wonder, “Why aren’t all peaches like these?” Flat peaches are rare and pricey in India, but they are slowly spreading, with some found in Goa now. They need a bit more love, but they’re better than fancy fruits like dragonfruit or kiwi, which look cool but taste so-so. Surprisingly, China has grown flat peaches for centuries! In the 7th century, exotic yellow peaches came from Samarkand to China. Ancient texts even mention flat peach varieties called pai pien tau or peento peaches. In 1911, a US report praised some flat peach types but said it was hard to ship them. Only now, after breeding for tougher skin and better refrigerated transport, are flat peaches traveling abroad safely. Hand-picking peaches is tough work, and Western countries are limiting migrant labor who do this. Some US farmers have switched to nuts that machines can harvest easily. This might be a golden chance for Indian hill farmers. With access to labor and less attachment to old fruit types, could they start growing these perfect peaches? If yes, India might soon enjoy juicy flat peaches alongside its beloved mangoes!

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Tags: Peaches, Flat peaches, Fruit trade, India, Mangoes, Agriculture,