The name certainly doesn't do it justice: spinster apple. Zitella, in the collective imagination of the countryside, stands for an ugly woman who, precisely for this reason, has not found a husband. And if she's not ugly she must have some other problem! But, even the second name given to it, Virginella apple, is a whole program and is so reminiscent of the Genoese nursery rhyme of Beautiful of Torriglia a legendary and popular figure, the one who “everyone wants her, but nobody takes her”.
Names that do not correspond to the diametrically opposed qualities of an apple much appreciated in the south of Italy, but with limited diffusion. In fact, it is grown above 500-600 meters in Molise, Abruzzo and some areas of Campania. In the town of Agnone, famous for hosting the oldest bell factory in the world, official supplier of the Vatican, the only one that can boast the Pontifical coat of arms, the spinster apple trees give a touch of refinement to the gardens of the stately homes of the city. And at Christmas a basket of spinster apples cannot be missing from any table because it is considered auspicious.
Widespread and known since the times of the ancient Romans, the Zitella apple it experienced a moment of particular splendor in the XNUMXth century for the custom of emptying the fruits of their pulp and filling them with jasmine oil, thus using them as scented candles. Due to its very intense and permanent fragrance, it was also used as a deodorant to perfume wardrobes, clothes and linens and kitchens,
But let's go back to the name Zitella. This would derive from the fact that the women of the countryside of that vast internal area between Abruzzo, Molise and Campania who were unable to find a husband due to their lack of attractiveness, according to the popular vulgate, used to grind the pulp of this apple, to which they attributed precious dermatological qualities , to improve the color and luminosity of their skin. Nowadays, women who can't find a husband can count on much more effective alternative methods – not only dermatological but also surgical – to improve their appearance and fulfill their life's dream. But the omelette is done and that unfortunate name has been attached to the apple.
Today the spinster apple is looking for its own redemption. Appreciated and enjoyed both by a still restricted niche of connoisseurs, precisely because of its intrinsic organoleptic qualities, the aim is to promote it to a wider range of consumers. For some time now considered a fruit in danger of extinction, the spinster apple has become part of the Slow Food presidia.
Its peculiar characteristic is its longevity: in fact, it can be kept for up to six months in dark, dry and ventilated environments in order to then be consumed in the following months. The fruit contains little pectin, which is why it does not gel above a certain temperature. Having an external surface that is highly resistant to rot, the apple that is normally harvested in October keeps its flavor unaltered for a long time.
Due to its characteristics, in Abruzzo, Molise and Campania it is used in the production of candied fruit to flavor leavened desserts such as, for example, the traditional panettone, while in Molise, especially on Sundays, it is served in tasty pancakes that release fragrant flavors and aromas.
in Agnone, Germano Labbate, owner of Café du Soir and patron of the Gerri Creative Pastry Workshop, after a careful market analysis, decided in recent years to start the production of leavened products together with its traditional pastry products, which also attract customers from nearby cities. The pastry chef therefore threw himself headlong into books, studied mother yeast and the secrets behind panettone and slowly started his production deciding to distinguish himself by using quality local raw materials. The spinster apple becomes the basic ingredient of his Panettone. And it happened right away.
His artisan dessert gets the prestigious recognition of King Panettone one of the most important national competitions held every year in Milan: Labbate, with its Zitella apple is among the best ten traditional panettone in Italy. The originality and goodness of his panettone it has also been recognized by the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, founded by Carlo Petrini, creator of Slow Food. The University has, in fact, sent a delegation of students to the Molise town to study the secrets of making his famous panettone at Germano Labbate's laboratory.
And here Germano Labbate's recipe for those who manage to obtain the precious and tasty Molise apples:
Low classic Milanese panettone recipe
Quantity for 2 panettone of 1,2 kg
185 gr sugar
150 gr water
250 g egg turoli
200 gr mature sourdough
400 gr strong flour such as panettone
250 gr butter
Method
First day: Knead well and let it rise until the volume triples.
The next day add
150 gr panettone type flour
80 gr yolks
75 gr sugar
100 gr butter
12 gr salt
vanilla 3 burbon sticks
orange paste to taste
600 g candied fruit
once the last ingredients have been added, let it rest.
Form and shape at different times, put in the ramekin and let it rise for another 5 or 6 hours before cooking the panettone at 150/160 degrees depending on the ovens used.
