#FBAISoiree: What’s In An Apple?

“And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart:
Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.”
― Kahlil Gibran

The most famous reference to apple is that of it being the ‘forbidden fruit,” ‘though the forbidden fruit in the Book of Genesis is not identified, popular Christian tradition holds that Adam and Eve ate an apple from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. This may have been the result of Renaissance painters adding elements of Greek mythology into biblical scenes. The unnamed fruit of Eden thus became an apple under the influence of the story of the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides. As a result, the apple became a symbol for knowledge, immortality, temptation, the fall of man and sin.’ And of course then there is the popularly believed story of Sir Isaac Newton discovering gravity, all thanks to a falling apple.

But rarely does one think of the fruit nowadays when they hear this word, but are quick to associate it to the ever popular techno giant that produces gadgets that everyone wants to lay their hands on. But hey, let us talk about the fruit here? 🙂

At Mumbai’s St.Regis Hotel, Food Bloggers Association, India hosted an insightful high tea which was co-organised by Washington Apples. In the stylish meeting room of the hotel, one could smell apples as they entered, just like you would when you enter an apple orchard. Bathed in the colours of dusk as the sun was about to set on the Mumbai skyline, there he was, Chef Himanshu Taneja, the Culinary Director of St.Regis, Mumbai, all set with his team to welcome each guest on this delicious culinary tour. He was accompanied by the officials from Washington Apples.

What are Washington Apples? 

Washington Apples comes from the fertile valleys and plateaus of America’s far western state of Washington. The cultivators tend more than 225,000 acres of orchards to produce the world’s best apples. Also, each year the Washington region harvests between 90 and 105 million bushel boxes of apples.

Apples find its origin in Kazakhstan and were carried east by traders on the Silk Road but it is Washington which perfected the harvest of this fruit.

There are 5 major varieties of apples: 

Red Delicious

Golden Delicious

Granny Smith

Gala

Fuji

1. Red Delicious: A classic. The most widely grown apple in the world since 1920s. The heart shaped fruit is bright red and can also be striped at times. These are great in salads.
2. Golden Delicious: This is an all-purpose apple. Mellow and sweet, these are great for eating out of hand, baking and salads.
3. Granny Smith: Green and extremely tart, crisp, juicy and versatile. Grannies are a favourite of Washington pie-bakers. They’re good for snacking too.
4. Gala: Pinkish-orange stripes over a yellow base are the signature of this crisp and snappy apple. These have been popular amongst customers since the last 15 years.
5. Fuji: Known for it’s hard texture and syrupy sweetness, this one is excellent for baking.

Why should you eat apples?

• The disease fighting profile of apples provide multiple health benefits, including potential decreased risk of cancer, lung cancer and heart diseases. It also reduces the damaging effects of the ‘bad cholesterol” (LDL) and risk of stroke, type II diabetes and asthma.
• Apples are a delicious source of dietary fibre and that helps aid digestion and promotes weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fibre. They also contain zero fat and cholesterol.
• It also improves brain health, lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s.

More about the #FBAISoiree High Tea with Washington Apples: 

Chef Himanshu Taneja and his team had curated a special menu for the high tea where each dish contained apple as an ingredient. And while one can only think of a handful of dishes when it comes to the fruit, I was surprised to see the vast spread which boasted of apples. From apple coolers and smoothies, to ‘Apple and Mustard Broccoli Quiche’, ‘Baingan Bharta and Air Dried Apple Chips’, ‘Washington Apple and Cinnamon Tempered Asparagus and Gruyere’ to ‘Granny Smith and Clove Minced Cottage Cheese,’ and as if this wasn’t enough, Chef Taneja also put up quite a show with a live demonstration of his culinary skills as he prepared a Puebla Avocado Tartare and Seb Ka Chenna Payesh  on the spot and also shared it’s recipe with the guests.

Here’s a slideshow with all the delicacies:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Fun facts about apples:

• Apple seeds are like people; you will never get the exact type of apple from a planted seed.
• One apple has 5gm of fibre and supplies 20% of the daily fibre recommendation.
• Washington Apples are available year round.
• Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
• Apples are a member of the rose family.
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
• Apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated.

They say, “It’s unsettling to meet people who don’t eat apples,” so grab that apple now, will you? 🙂