Apples are a staple in our kitchen, and, although I usually choose our produce based on look and taste, I am known to sometimes be influenced by name. I am a fan of nomenclature, the naming of things. I mean who hasn’t chosen a product, maybe a nail polish for example, mainly because the clever, creative name “Nailed It?”
Apples are lots of fun for fans of nomenclature. There are over 7500 varieties of apples http://fruitsinfo.com. The names of apples do not disappoint. We sometimes delight in the Golden Delicious or the Honeycrisp. (Let’s try to behave like a “Pink Lady” when we visit “Granny Smith”–just a little apple humor) You can imagine how my grin grew when I saw the precious pink apple named, “Pacific Rose.” I thought, “This apple is sure to be sweet if its named after me and that fabulous trip to San Francisco Chad and I had BTB (Before The Boys).” Well, it turns out it is not named after me. I love it just the same.
Just a little insight, the Pacific Rose apple was developed in New Zealand and “is named for its rosy complexion and the ocean that surrounds the island nation of its birth.” http://pacificroseapple.com.
Apples are versatile in cooking uses. They deliver a sweetness that, when coupled with a little nut butter or yogurt, makes a delicious and filling snackadoo. I like to add a little apple to a roasting chicken. Just as I was thinking about apples, my mind wandered, as minds tend to do, to all the literary references to apples. The apple has really made a big impact on the world outside of the kitchen.
There are some haunting references to apples. Although the biblical book of Genesis does not specifically reference an apple as the forbidden fruit of which Eve took that fateful bite, artists historically have portrayed it as an apple. http://nationalgeographic.com. Also, In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the witch gives a poisoned apple to the fair-faced beauty.
It is said that Isaac Newton, an English mathematician (1642-1727), developed the theory of gravitation after observing an apple falling from its tree down to the earth beneath. Wikipedia
There are the many adages and nicknames derived from the apple:
- bringing an apple to one’s teacher
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away (a proverb from the 1800s)
- You’re the apple of my eye
- NYC–The Big Apple
- Apple, Inc.
This post about apples is meant to give insight into the tremendous impact the ordinary things we get to see and eat everyday could have on our lives. I am not exempt from feeling the heartache and heaviness life may bring time to time. But if I can look at the ordinary and feel inspired, it makes a difference in my day. I’m going to try to taste as many “apples” as I can in this life. Some may be super sweet and others too tart for my palate. I may even come across a bad apple trying to diminish the whole barrel. I’ll be aware of its impact, and toss it out. As for today, I wish you happy, glorious apples, Rose
Rose's Insightful Eating 