Apples (part 1)

The first cultivated apples probably grew in the Middle East about 4,ooo years ago.From there,the fruit spread along ancient trade routes into Europe and the rest of Asia.The Romans introduced the first productive apple orchards to Britain around 2,ooo years ago.It seems likely that over the next thousands years,invaders from other parts of Europe brought many different varieties of apples and other fruits into Britain with them.Certainly,the Normans brought apples from northern France with them when they conquered England in 1o66.

However,the cultivation of apples along with other fruits and vegetables,declined,slowly over the next 4oo years as the English turned to meat,bread and cheese for their main food items.All this started to change in the 15oos when King Henry VII planted large-scale apple and fruit orchards in Kent, a large and fertile county lying southest of London.Over the next 300 years,Kent farmers found a good market for their fruit in the luxury food market of London.The best known variety of dessert apple at this time was called Old English-a type first mentioned in a recipe dating back to 12o4.