Leonforte peach nectar (yellow flesh) 250 ml

After the Second World War, faced with repeated and disastrous attacks by the Mediterranean fruit fly, growers turned to bagging as a mechanical defence. Ever since, in early summer, when the fruits are the size of an almond, each one is wrapped by hand in a thin parchment-paper bag that lets light and air through but keeps the fly out. It is a unique, painstaking and costly technique, but essential to obtain a special, tasty fruit.

The Leonforte peach is not a “percoca” (from the Latin praecŏquus, early) but a late peach, picked in September and October, when other varieties have long finished. It comes in two local ecotypes, “bianca” and “giallona”, named after the colour of the skin. It is round and medium-large; both types have a very intense aroma, a sweet, velvety taste and a firm texture that makes them ideal for preserving in syrup.