Apples
“Oh! happy are the apples when the south winds blow.” William Wallace Harney, Adonais.”
Most apples marketed by Lovita come from Valtellina – a small percentage is taken from other areas of suitable areas of the mountains – a production in which the cultivators are characterized by the highest quality standards.
The crop of apples in this area dates back to ancient times, but it is only after the end of the Second World War that they began to be appreciated and marketed successfully, enriching the valley that runs from Sondrio to Tirano with new colours and fragrances.
The sandy soils are permeable, and due to rainfall evenly distributed throughout year, the coverage range of the Rhaetian Alps and the Alpine range in the north to the south, the benevolent influence of the breeze blowing in the afternoon in the lake of Como and the high daily temperature, make an exceptional climate for cultivation of apple orchards. Unlike the usual productions of the plains, the first fruits of Valtellina are characterized by the beautiful shades of colour and nice balanced flavour.
Lulled by the sun and caressed by the wind, tickled by spring rains, each variety has its own specific characteristics, determined by the land in which they grow. Among the varieties known, the pride of the valley is the Red Delicious, which boasts excellent organoleptic characteristics, enhanced from the highest mountain. Another variety of merit is the Golden Delicious, considered the apple of excellence that for its peculiarity is suitable to be preserved throughout the year. In addition, they are successfully cultivated with Gala, Morgenduft and Fuji, Granny Smith and Pippin, especially from flavour, with a dense pulp that is well suited to conservation.
Controlled by the climate and the weather, the apple orchards produce their fruits once a year and need to be cared for and monitored by expert hands in the most critical moments of the season, such as severe thunderstorms and hail.
From the water in the soil, the rotation of the plants to the careful choice of pesticides, everything must be taken care of, in order to bring a healthy and tasty product into the hands of consumers. The harvest begins in low-lying areas in early August with the variety Gala, to close at the end of October and in mountainous areas with the Fuji.
The Golden Delicious is marketed in Italy throughout the year, the varieties Fuji, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious are imported from abroad in the summer period (June to September), the Gala from March to July, while with the Morgenduft there are no imports.
The Apple
Simbols
The apple is an appealing food product that due to its bright colours and characteristics has crept into the imaginations of humans, becoming the subject of many myths and urban legends.
From Adam and Eve to Snow White, to the “apple of discord” (the origin of the Trojan War) to those golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides, passing from Greek mythology, Christian William Tell, to get to the discovery Newton’s scientific and the global success of Steve Jobs: the apple is a symbol of knowledge, piety and temptation. From a scientific point, however, the apple is considered as a false fruit, since the real one is not the edible portion, but the only part of the core that contains the seeds. To strengthen the association between apples and deception, there is the thought of the Latin malum, that once the apple is created that the evil is too, creating strong ambiguity in the translations. For the artists of the Middle Ages therefore, the ideal subject to be represented as forbidden fruit in the garden of knowledge could only be a red apple, juicy, fleshy, and evil.
In some religions prior to Christianity, the apple was the symbol attributed to Venus, the goddess of love and fertility in ancient Greece. In fact, the launching of an Apple was the equivalent of a declaration of love and a clear signal for a loving invitation. In 1666, the apple plays a key role in one of the most revolutionary scientific discoveries for the human being: the law of gravity. We will never know if an apple really fell on Newton’s head, but it is interesting to note that the British scientist has chosen this fruit to be associated with his scientific discovery, with a note where it is clear that it is a reference to the biblical tree of Knowledge.
More recently, the logo was chosen by Steve Jobs for his company, Apple. The design of the apple with the bite has been created by Rob Janoff as a tribute to Alan Turing, who committed suicide.
Packaging
