This queen of apples is tangy and fragrant, and is perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.
Origin
The annurca apple has been cultivated in Campania for at least 2 millennia. It comes from the areas of Campi Flegrei, Aversa, upper Caserta, as well as the ‘quadrilateral’ formed by Valle di Maddaloni, Sant’Agata dei Goti, Melizzano and Dugenta. It has been spotted in paintings found in the excavations of the ancient city of Herculaneum , which demonstrates its connection to the world of Ancient Rome and the ‘Campania felix’. Pliny called it “Mala orcula” as a reference to the underworld. Annurca apples are harvested in the early days of October while still immature, and then left to ripen in special baskets. They are then placed on little beds made of soft materials like hay and pine need.
Cookit
This so called “queen of apples” is vivid red with a unique fragrance. Its tangy, sweet taste develops because of the ripening period (in mid December) and the long, labor-intensive process it requires. It has a particularly crunchy peel and juicy flesh, so it has many uses in the kitchen: from liquor to herbal tea, and from vinegar to preserves to juice. When cooked, it’s a perfect match for pork, boar, game, risotto or with raw foods
Did you know
Through October and November in the areas of Valle di Maddaloni, Dugenta and Sant’Agata dei Goti, you’ll be struck by expanses of red as the apples lie out on their soft “beds”. From the time of the harvest until the end of the ripening process, they are rotated multiple times every 8-15 days on average. This laborious task is what ups the cost of production.
