Imagine it is the height of the Tang dynasty (618–690, 705–907), and the imperial court awaits a gift of pure opulence. The exotic luxury would not have been a golden statue or precious gem; those were easy enough for high royalty to procure. Rather, it was a humble peach, specifically, the “golden peach of Samarkand,” which symbolised the allure and mystery of a faraway land. Originating in what is modern-day Uzbekistan, the luscious peach shows how food spread along the Silk Road and how...