~ HISTORY of APPLE ~

Apples are members of the rose family. Apple tree is a fruit tree that marked the beginning of peopling on Earth. It was referred to as a forbidden fruit by God that Eve offered to Adam to enjoy, resulting in the man being cast out of Eden. Moreover, from the anthropological data on Stone Age man in Europe, the apple was present. In Greek and Roman mythology, apples are symbol of love and beauty.

The country of origin of apples is Asia where wild fruit growing can be dated back to the Neolithic. Gradually, this spread to Iran and eventually further to the West - to Asia Minor and Greece. Soon, the Romans, the Germanic, the Celtic and Slavic tribes spread the apple tree over to the Apennine peninsula, and across the Balkans central and the Western Europe, all the way to the British Islands. It is believed that the Romans brought apple cultivation with them when they conquered England about first Century B.C. The apple tree is also spread to the North and South America and Australia when the early settlers brought seeds and grafts to the new continents.

Today, apples are grown in orchards and research is carried out to develop new and improved species.