The scientific name for peaches is Prunus persica and that second half of the name refers to Persia (Iran) which was the place Europeans mistakenly thought the fruit came from. Peaches in fact originated in China and have been cultivated there since 2000 B.C.
It was only around 300 B.C. that the fruit spread through Persia and into Greece. It was largely through Alexander the Great and his conquest of that region that peaches were introduced into Europe. In the 16th century Spanish explorers finally brought the fruit to the New World.
It is fortunate that the fruit has long been a part of the human diet as it has much nutritional value to offer. Continue reading about the benefits of peaches and understand why the Superhuman Food Pyramid wholly recommends the fruit.
