Imagine you receive an invitation to a lavish banquet. The guest list includes gods, goddesses, deities, and a few select deserving mortals. What’s on the menu? Celestial peaches that will make you live forever.
In Taoist mythology, the peach tree (Prunus persica) is emblematic of longevity. The Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu), living in a jade palace at the margins of heaven and earth, is known for hosting large feasts and serving peaches from her orchards. Those peaches, ripening every 3000 years, can grant eternal life to anyone lucky enough to eat them [1,2].
Last week in Chinatown, I discovered an ingredient that breathes life into this ancient myth— peach tree gum. The amber-hued sap that oozes out of wounds on the bark or broken branches of peach trees has been referred to in Chinese as Táohuā lèi 桃花泪 “tears of the peach blossom.” The dried, hardened substance resembles uncut jewels and is harvested to make anti-aging soups and desserts.
The woman behind the counter at 7955 AE Company Inc. (72 Bayard St.) explained that peach tree gum is extremely rich in collagen and helps to rejuvenate skin elasticity and reverse wrinkles. When I asked how to consume it, she said: "you can soak it and boil it to make jelly and then add fruits and herbs." Intrigued by the prospects of preparing a dessert with aging properties, I bought two ounces which cost less than $7.
She told me to let it soak overnight in purified water, remove any impurities (pieces of tree bark or dirt), cook on low for 30 minutes with goji berries, jujube, and ginseng until jelly is formed. I followed her instructions, except I decided to create a dessert that pays homage to the rose family of plants since peaches and other stone fruit are members.
I challenged myself to use only rose family (Rosaceae) plants. This medium-sized family of flowering plants (~3,100 known species in ~100 genera) [3] includes some of the most economically important and delicious edible fruits (apples, pears, quinces, cherries, almonds, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), as well as gorgeous ornamentals (roses, mountain ash, meadowsweet)[4].
Luckily, I had a lot of rose family ingredients in my house to whip up this dessert. First, I simmered the peach tree gum with hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) and rose hips (Rosa canina) until the swollen crystals melted into a gelatinous porridge. Next, I took it off the heat and added a few drops of almond (Prunus dulcis) extracts and apple (Malus domestica) blossom honey. Finally, I added slices of blackberries and strawberries and fresh and dried edible rose flowers to garnish.
The peach gum has a neutral taste; in fact, it hardly tastes like anything. It balances out the medicinal and astringent flavors of the hawthorn and rosehip. The almond extract added a subtle nuttiness, and the fruit, honey, and florals imparted a delicate and aromatic sweetness. The texture was similar to Jell-O but not as firm. In a few months, when the season arrives, I plan on making the jelly again and garnishing it with juicy slices of a ripened peach.
References:
1. Denney, J. (2010). “Longevity in Chinese Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/long/hd_long.htm
2. Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The journey to the West. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
3. Christenhusz, M. J., & Byng, J. W. (2016). The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa, 261(3), 201. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
4. Jorgensen, R. A., Folta, K. M., & Gardiner, S. E. (2009). Genetics and Genomics of Rosaceae. New York, NY: Springer New York.
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