Madeleine Ankner - Apple Kitchen: From Tree to Table – Over 70 Inspiring Recipes

M elting snow forms little lakes and a biting wind streams over the mountain ridge, which is among the highest in the world. On the slopes, the treetops are a brilliant yellow and red. Here, in southeast Kazakhstan, is the Garden of Eden where the apple finds its origins.

The birthplace of the apple is close to the mighty Tian Shan mountains and the former Kazakh capital city of Almaty, which translates as father of apples. A glance at the surrounding slopes quickly explains where the name originates: huge numbers of apple trees grow in small woodlands, entirely wild and natural, seeded without human intervention. The apples here are very different from the fruit we know today. In terms of size and appearance, they are more akin to cherries. It is immediately obvious that a lot had to happen before the apple would become one of Europes favourite fruits.

Because these Asian crab apples were extremely small and woody, with lots of pips and a very sour flavour, people used them as fodder for wild horses and deer. The animals distributed the seeds through their dung. In ancient times, people began taking specimens into the Black Sea region via the Silk Road. Different varieties were crossed with each other, and scientific research has shown that todays apples have traces of at least four wild apple varieties.

The apple was eventually cultivated by the Romans and Greeks and was introduced to Central and Northern Europe by Roman legions around 100 bce . The fruit tasted sweeter by this point and it was credited with special properties. The Greeks even believed the apple could work as an aphrodisiac. In the Holy Roman Empire, the apple symbolized the globe and was held in the rulers left hand as a kind of imperial orb during coronation ceremonies. Over the millennia, apples have been a symbol of power, wealth, and temptation.

Today, the apple is an everyday product. And its agricultural significance has steadily increased too: by 1880, it is thought that more than 20,000 varieties of apple were being cultivated around the world. However, as the fruit-growing business was commercialized, only a few varieties with the highest yield were economically viable.

According to the UK growers association British Apples and Pears, the main apples currently being cultivated in the UK are Gala and Braeburn. These are followed by Bramley, Cox, Early Windsor, Egremont Russet, Discovery, and Worcester Pearmain. Nowadays, apples are grown using a space-saving spindle system. The height of the trees is restricted so every apple can be reached by hand. The fruit are geared towards Great Britain (GB) standards and the requirements of the retail trade: they must be crisp and juicy and have good storage and transportation characteristics.

The responsibility for preserving older apple varieties now falls mainly to specialist associations. If you want to promote diversity, you should buy regional produce and seek out unusual varieties or plant your own heritage apple tree in your garden.

| kanzi

Season: October to May

Flavour: juicy, crunchy apple with a sweet, tangy taste

Ideal use: suitable for fresh salads, tarts and pies, sweet jams, drinks, and as a dessert apple

Characteristic: the Kanzi is a cross between the Gala and the Braeburn. It was first cultivated in Belgium and was introduced to the market in 2006.