I was thinking that… my trusted nutritionist added a note to my personalized diet plan: if you get hungry, eat an apple! As I was getting ready to take a bite, a thought crossed my mind: why are apples so prevalent in history?
A round, juicy fruit that—from Adam to Newton, from Merlin to Steve Jobs—has been associated with both good and evil, obedience and disobedience, love and hate.
Eve changed the course of humanity by offering Adam the apple, causing us all to fall from Paradise to Earth. A gesture that cost her dearly, resulting in her being given a “nickname” that was hardly polite for a woman! Then Paris, by offering the apple to Venus—the apple of discord—caused the other two excluded goddesses to unleash the Trojan War. Women, as we know, are competitive, and when they’re angry, they’re capable of causing disasters—let alone two goddesses!
Merlin spoke beneath an apple tree, because in Celtic tradition it is a magical plant. Snow White’s apple is poisoned; Apple’s is bitten into; and when held in the hand, it represents the iconography of medieval emperors. But this plump little fruit carries with it the noblest of its symbols: knowledge. To gain knowledge, one must bite into it, test it, and try it.
And as you bite into it, think about just how good it is for you. It’s a superfood thanks to the excellent nutrients it contains. So be sure to include it on your fall table—it’s truly special—and have fun sampling the many varieties available at the market. Its vitamins will help strengthen the body’s immune system, and the pectin it’s rich in helps regulate cholesterol. And since it’s low in sugar, it’s also recommended for those who need to keep their blood sugar under control…
So it really is true that an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Finally, hopeless romantics will be able to buy the “sweetest” and most recently produced apple, red both inside and out: the Kissabel. It’s much more than just a sweet name—it’s a kiss with every bite, a delightful sensation with the taste of something new!
Cover photo: Detail from the painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, *Adam and Eve*, 1528, Uffizi