Incredible Ingredients…Apple by Nathalie Kyrou

The apple, believed to have been the forbidden fruit that Eve coaxed Adam to share with her in the Book of Genesis, appears in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. It is prominent in Greek mythology, and there is a connection between fertility and apples in Norse mythology too. The larynx in the human throat was called the Adam’s apple because of the notion that is was caused by the forbidden fruit sticking in his throat.

The apple is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits – with over 7,500 known species. It originated from Central Asia, where its wild ancestor is still found today. Winter apples, which are coming into season now, have been an important food in Asia and Europe for millennia.

Apples can be canned, juiced and fermented to produce apple juice, cider, vinegar, wine and pectin. Distilled apple cider produces the spirit Calvados. Apples are an important ingredient in many desserts, such as apple pie, crumble, crisp and cake. Often eaten baked or stewed, they can also be dried and eaten, and puréed into apple sauce or made into apple butter and jelly. Apples are also delicious (cooked) in meat dishes.

You must have heard of the proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Though this saying was likely the result of farmers encouraging higher sales of produce, research suggests that, although apples contain relatively low amounts of Vitamin C and antioxidants compared to other fruit and vegetables, they may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. They are also high in fibre and may help with heart disease and controlling cholesterol. So the next time you’re eyeing up a candy or toffee apple at a fun fair, why not treat yourself?

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.