The Apple: A Delicious History

Several things distinguish this natural history of apples by the author of Fowl Play. One is its immediate presentation of the fruit’s practical economic importance over wide stretches of the globe–once nearly essential to millions of households. Another is its awareness of the apple’s presence outside the United States. And it is a readable introduction to the way that food history illuminates so many other aspects of human endeavor.

Sally Coulthard lives on a Yorkshire farm with a still-thriving apple orchard planted in the 1840s, a reminder of how in that part of the world, “few other fruits were so versatile in the kitchen, made rip-roaringly strong alcohol and cured a range of inexplicable elements. From face creams to preserves, hard cider to cobbler, the apple tree was more essential to the household than almost any other homegrown produce.”

Her exploration of apple history sweeps from the steppes of Asia to the shores of New Zealand, the lore of ancient Persia and Rome, the royal court of France, and the manifest destiny pursued by American settlers.

Recipes from different eras help demonstrate the various ways apples have been employed, including those which have passed out of fashion, like the biffin, “a semi-dried apple, squashed into the shape of a crumpet,” which was a favorite of Charles Dickens.

As we say, a good introduction to food history.

Hardcover.