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colonies where even Thomas Jefferson planted peach trees around his estate, Monticello. But back then, it wasn’t being broadly or commercially cultivated. On top of being difficult to get, peaches spoiled easily. Anyone who has had peaches can attest: Fresh peaches don’t last long once they’re harvested. Because of this, peaches remained expensive until the 1800s when the growing U.S. population began providing more opportunities to take this fragile fruit to market. In response, farmers began planting peach groves in many eastern states — which have temperate climates, ideal weather for a long peach season — to make a profit. While peaches can be grown anywhere in the United States, the best peaches come from temperate states, like Georgia, which is why it’s nicknamed “The Peach State.” This summer, as you bite into a sweet, juicy peach, you’ll know that single piece of fruit comes with a history that spans the globe and several millennia.
quest to conquer the Persians, but these stories are largely untrue. The peach simply found its way around the globe thanks to good old-fashioned trade. It wasn’t until hundreds of years later in the 1500s that the peach made its way to the Americas. It was brought to North America
by Spanish explorers. Interestingly enough, the peach wasn’t introduced to England and France until the 1600s. As the peach gained popularity, it became a status symbol. It was difficult to get, which drove the price up. But it wasn’t long until the peach found its way into the American
FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Incredible Story of Zen Buddhist Chef Jeong Kwan
One of the world’s greatest chefs can’t be found in a restaurant. Instead, she serves fellow nuns and occasional visitors in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Korea. To fully describe the incredible success of Jeong Kwan, youmust first consider a factor thatWestern cuisine has ignored for millennia. While most people would assume Korean food is all about its famed barbecue, another pillar of the culture goes largely unacknowledged: Korean temple cuisine, which originated in the country’s Buddhist monasteries. A philosophy of Zen Buddhism is to not crave food and satisfy yourself only enough to be prepared for meditation, so youmight think that flavor would be of little consequence in a monastery’s kitchen. However, you’d be wrong. TheWest’s perception of Korean temple cuisine was challenged shortly after Eric Ripert visited Kwan’s monastery and experienced her cooking during a trip to Korea.
Ripert invited Kwan to New York City to prepare food in a private room at Le Bernardin, where she sent global shockwaves through the entire fine cuisine community. New York Times writer Jeff Gordinier described her plates as “so elegant, they could’ve slipped into a tasting menu at Benu or Blanca” and her flavors as “assertive,” all while being vegan. More and more critics realized that Kwan’s combination of foraging, fermenting, dehydrating, and cooking by season was not a modern practice. In fact, Zen Buddhist monks like Kwan mastered cooking in this tradition hundreds of years ago. “With food, we can share and communicate our emotions. It’s that mindset of sharing that is really what you’re eating,” Kwan says at the start of her titular episode of Netflix’s documentary series “Chef ’s Table.” She continues, “There is no difference between cooking and pursuing Buddha’s way.”
Whether for enlightenment or simply connecting with friends and family, sharing home-cooked meals can be an emotionally restorative experience as much as it is nourishing. This month, indulge in something special and homemade or try your hand at Korean temple cuisine by Googling some of Jeong Kwan’s recipes.
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