Italy is the world leader in the production of apples highly appreciated abroad for their high quality. We produce them 20/23 million quintals a year and almost there half is exported to Europe, headed by Germany, but also in Egypt and the East. The made in Italy apple has gained popularity over the last twenty years by assimilating the concepts of wholesomeness, low environmental impact, biological control and integrated control. Record holders in the national production are the northern regions, in particular those of the Alpine arc, which produce 70% of the national apples. Going into details the'South Tyrol and Val Venosta lead the production ranking with 800/900.000 tons of apples a year, followed by the Trentino with the "Val di Non" with 450/500.000 tons, il Piedmont with the provinces of Cuneo and Turin with 80/90.000 tons. per year, Lombardy with Valtellina with 40/50.000 tons. Then follow the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, where the production of "Fuji" is of excellent quality while the historic "Rosa Romana" is once again being cultivated in the Apennines.
These data emerged from the meeting “The Wednesdays of the Archiginnasio. The Odyssey of food from the field to the table” which took place in Bologna organized in collaboration with the National Academy of Agriculture and the Medical and Surgical Society of Bologna, an initiative aimed at disseminating good communication in the food sector by promoting public awareness of production phases, healthy qualities and history in the kitchen of Italian agri-food excellence.
The world of Italian apples is constantly evolving, explained Roberto Piazza, Full Academician of the National Academy of Agriculture: "Alongside the traditional varieties - he underlined - the geneticists are always looking for new varieties, po satisfy the different tastes of consumers and offer farmers increasingly disease-resistant varieties, significantly reducing the number of treatments with crop protection products".
Of the potential health benefits of apples, which are numerous, and of the importance of ensuring our body a regular consumption of this fruit as part of a balanced diet for contribute to the prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases and to the protection of health spoke Prof. Silvana Hrelia Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Bologna. “The apple – she explained – is low in calories, and is mainly composed of carbohydrates and water. Even if the fruit is rich in simple sugars (such as fructose, sucrose, and glucose) it has a low glycemic index and this is certainly due to the good fiber content. It is also a good source of vitamins and minerals. But the true health heritage of apples lies in their particular richness in "nutraceutical" components.
The apple contains awide variety of nutraceutical components, including hydroxycinnamic acid, phloretin, anthocyanins and especially quercetin. This last molecule has a very high antioxidant activity ed has been extensively studied as regards its chemopreventive role, namely his ability to inhibit the onset or delay the progression of a tumor, cardioprotective and neuroprotective. There are many factors that can influence the nutraceutical content of apples, including degree of ripeness, storage and cultivar. The Ancient cultivars possess superior antioxidant activity to modern cultivars, so the rediscovery and valorisation of old cultivars fully responds to the health demands of consumers".
Strangely, the gastronomic potential of the apple in the kitchen was not discovered in ancient times. We will have to wait for the Renaissance to see the apple enter the protagonist in culinary preparations.
“Only since the Renaissance and the Baroque age – underlines Giorgio Palmeri, Bologna Delegate of the Bentivoglio Italian Academy of Cuisine – have the use of certain species of apples become widespread. It was with the advent of bourgeois cuisine at the end of the 800th century and therefore with a characterization of the preparations of the territory, that the range of proposals was expanded using the customs that the regional cuisines offered, where the cultivation of the apple was more developed. Starting from Pellegrino Artusi, with his work "Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well", proposals on the use of apples in the kitchen began, such as "English apples", "apple fritters" and "apples in jelly", all compositions intended for desserts.
The affirmation of a cuisine more linked to the territory has therefore allowed, also through the inspiration of many chefs and in the wake of regional traditions, to face innovative proposals in the kitchen with the use of apples, in their most widespread species. Also among the first courses there are the "risotto with rennet apples", the "risotto with green apples with ginger or lemon peel, the "knodel with apples" made with apples, eggs, flour, butter, sugar and breadcrumbs, the "polenta with apples" with the use of Aosta Valley apples cooked in water, wine, sugar, cinnamon and cloves, the "pappardelle with limoncelle apples" cooked with oil, garlic, bacon and rice starch. However, the proposals on desserts remain more varied, such as "strudel", "apple puff pastry", pancakes, cakes, pies, preserves and jellies, very common in various Italian regions".
The recipe of the apple frangipane tart
Considered the strudel apple par excellence, the apple renetta it is excellent for making desserts because, when cooked, its slightly acidic taste is lost and the pulp, usually of a beautiful creamy white color and particularly fleshy, becomes very sweet and juicy, however remaining rather compact.
Ingredients
3 Renette apples
230 g semi-wholemeal flour
100 g cold butter in cubes
1 egg
100 gr sugar
Grated lemon zest
pinch of yeast and salt
frangipani filling:
180 g ground almonds
120 gr sugar
3 eggs
100 gr soft butter
15 gr rice flour
1 grated orange zest
apricot jelly
lemon juice
Preparation
For the shortcrust pastry: add the sugar, baking powder and salt to the flour, then the butter and lemon peel.
Work everything quickly by hand until you get the consistency of breadcrumbs and finish mixing with the egg.
Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave it to cool for 60 minutes in the fridge. The dough to a thickness of 4-5 mm. Coat a 20×30 cm mold, previously buttered and floured. Trim the excess dough and prick it on the bottom.
For the Frangipane: mix the soft butter with half the sugar and the grated orange peel. Combine the lightly beaten eggs with the remaining sugar, then the ground almonds and the rice flour.
Brush the pastry with the apricot jelly, then pour the filling and level it.
Peel the apples, cut them into thin wedges and place them close together in the filling. Place the tart in a preheated oven at 180° for 30 minutes and continue for another 15 minutes with heat only underneath.
If you want to revive the image of the cake, you can place slices of apple on the surface inventing decorations as you like
