Zhangzhuang Winter Peaches

Zhangzhuang Winter Peaches

　　Zhangzhuang Winter Peaches are produced in Zhangzhuang Village, Cuizhai Township, Pei County, Jiangsu Province. The cultivation of winter peaches here has a history of over a hundred years. Legend has it that during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1879–1908), a man surnamed Wu named Wu Fengzhu from Pei County served as the military governor of Xiangyang in Hubei Province. He introduced winter peaches to Pei County for cultivation.

　　The winter peach tree resembles ordinary peach trees in shape, height, and foliage, but it has a much stronger resistance to cold. Even when the weather is freezing and snow is falling heavily, winter peach trees remain lush with branches and leaves, and bear fragrant fruit. These peaches stop growing once they reach the size of cherries. After a long summer, their growth accelerates when temperatures drop in September. They enter the ripening stage after the “Major Snow” solar term and are harvested and marketed around the “Winter Solstice,” when the leaves have fallen but the fruits remain on the trees. The bright red peaches stand out vividly against the backdrop of white snow and blue sky, creating a spectacular winter scene.

　　Zhangzhuang Winter Peaches are nearly round in shape, with an average single fruit weight of 71.32 grams, and some reaching up to 91.2 grams. The skin is pale in color with a red blush on the sun-exposed side, and covered with thick fuzz. The flesh is white, with little juice but high sugar content. It is fine-textured, crisp, tender, thick-fleshed, and small-seeded, offering a delicious sweetness that far surpasses that of ordinary peaches.

　　Winter peach trees grow and bear fruit naturally without grafting. In spring, they bloom about seven or eight days earlier than ordinary peach trees. The peaches grow to the size of cherries before ceasing to grow further, then continue to develop in autumn. They do not ripen until the “Major Snow” season in winter, with a growth period of over 250 days. When mature, the peaches are covered with a layer of white fuzz and display a glossy green color tinged with purple-red, giving them a vibrant hue. The pit is small, and the flesh near the pit is reddish, reminding one of the harsh winter it has endured and the wholehearted offering it presents to people. The taste of winter peaches is crisp with a pleasant sweetness, making them extremely delicious. They have been favored by people throughout history.