FOOD

Many interpretations of
Genesis conclude Eve
handed Adam a fig —
not an apple.

It's healthy, famous and profitable

read all about fall's favorite fruit.

BY ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

W

hether you're a stem
plucker, a streak, a circle
stickler or a splitter, the
issue isn't how you eat it, it's what
you're eating.
According to the U.S. Apple
Association, Americans devour their
apples in a variety of ways. Before tak-
ing one bite, the stem plucker twists
the stem, saying a letter with each
turn. The letter uttered when the
stern comes out is said to hold great
meaning, perhaps being the first letter
of the name of a future husband or
wife. The streak always removes the
peel before eating. The circle stickler
slices his apples against the grain. The
splitter chops his apple in half.
And if you're none of these? Well,
check out more apple-eating styles at
the home of the U.S. Apple
Association at www.usapple.org/
consumers/applebits/eater.shtml.
Throughout history, the apple has

6 • sEPT F. m B E R ZOO S • JNPLATINUM

been a healthy part of the human diet.
Though, by many interpretations, Eve
handed Adam a fig, the apple is men-
tioned throughout the Torah — not
only as a food, but also because of its
fragrance. In Genesis and Proverbs, the
scent of the fruit is said to be like that
of a loved one. And, of course, apples
dipped in honey help give us a sweet,
new Jewish year.
Apples play a huge part in the
state's economy as well.
Michigan is the country's third-
largest producer. By October, the end
of apple-growing season, workers will
have picked more than 20 million
bushels of apples in 22 varieties. And
there's big bucks in those apples, the
production of which results in an
annual $500 million worth of business
for Michigan.
Apples begin appearing in Michigan
in August with Paula Red and finish in
the late fall with Fuji, Jonagold and

Rome, among others. Some of the
state's other varieties are Jonathan, Red
Delicious, Golden Delicious and
Empire, all great for school lunches;
McIntosh, Northern Spy and
Honeycrisp, good in salads; and Ida
Red and Rome, perfect for baking.
Like a beauty contest, each apple —
7,500 varieties exist worldwide — has
its devoted fans, and supporters will
assure you that every apple is a treasure
with its own unique quality. But there
are clear winners. The most popular
apple in Michigan is the Red Delicious,
followed by the Golden Delicious. In
third place, but quickly gaining ground,
is the Gala, often labeled by growers as
having a "snappy" flavor.
Apples are not just yummy. The
adage, "An apple a day keeps the doc-
tor away" (based on the old English
saying, "Eat an apple before going to
bed, make the doctor beg his bread")
may be truer than we ever imagined.

A 2004 study by the United
Kingdom's Institute for Food Research
concluded that a diet rich with fruits
containing plenty of anti-oxidant
flavonoids and phytonutrients such as
apples can help reduce the risk of
digestive cancers, one of the most
common types of the disease.
Digestive cancers affect the pharynx,
stomach, colon, rectum and esophagus.
The fiber in apples also has been
shown to help prevent heart disease.
Before peeling, though, remember
that the apple skin holds many of the
best nutrients. ❑

To learn more about Michigan apples,
visit the Michigan Apple Committee's
Web site at www.michiganapples.com .
For a listing of Michigan apple
orchards, u-pick orchards and cider
mills, visit
www.applejournal.com/mi01.htm.