#merendella

Fruits of Calabria: The Merendella Peach

Merendella peach is a real delight: small size, smooth white skin tending to green with some pinkish streaks, very sweet and fragrant pulp with a vague hint of honey and citrus fruits.

It is a prized variety of nectarine peach, fruit of the Prunus persica, a tree of the Rosaceae family. The peach was already known in antiquity for the beauty of its flowers and the goodness of its fruits.

MERENDELLA, A HISTORICAL FRUIT OF CALABRIA

The Calabrian name of the small peach comes from “merenda”, a Latin term that could come either from meridies of from noon, just to indicate a quick meal to replace lunch, or from the verb “merere”, meaning to deserve or meaning the snack as a meal granted to subordinates following particular working merits.

We find the same meaning in the Greek language, meris which means part.

The merendella peach also exists in Sicily and is called “sbergia”, but the Calabrian variety, particularly widespread in the Lamezia area and Catanzaro, has special characteristics as described above, probably due to the natural habitat of the territory.

It reaches maturity between mid-July and August, a period in which it can be found at local markets. instead, it is difficult to find it outside the region, as it is a very delicate and complicated fruit to transport.

Source: SMAF Ltd