Annurca, pronounced in Italy "annurche", is a historically old cultivar of domesticated apple native to Southern Italy, It is believed to be the one mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his "Naturalis Historia", and in the sixteenth century by Gian Battista della Porta. However it was first mentioned by this name by Giuseppe Antonio Pasquale.[1][2]
| 'Mela annurca' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hybrid parentage | Unknown |
| Cultivar | 'Mela annurca' |
| Origin |  Sweden |
Still today it is abundantly cultivated in Southern Italy,[3] typically at the border between the Caserta and Benevento provinces, in the valley which is called the "queen of apples".[2]
Annurca is definitely one of the symbols of Campania presumably since two millenniums ago, as showed by the fresco paintings in the Ercolano excavations, a Roman city which was destroyed by the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79, especially at the Casa dei Cervi.[2] It is at-least believed to that apple depicted at the ruins of Pompeii.[4].
Annurca has a white pulp, firm and crunchy, a sweet aroma, and a pleasantly acidic taste.[1] Those apples doesn't ripen on tree, but are carefully placed in sun after they are picked until they turn red.[2] However, it is still notable for its high firmness and its characteristic flavor. Its high tissue firmness is linked to its high concentration of pectin. Pectin changes its composition during the reddening process.[3]
There are two selected clones of Annurca, ‘Standard’ and ‘Rossa del Sud’.[3]
This cultivar enjoy Protected Geographical Indication status within the European Union with the "PGI Melannurca" recognition[1]
References
- ^ a b c Petraq J. Papajorgji, Panos M. Pardalos, Advances in Modeling Agricultural Systems, Springer Verlag, 2009 (p. 474) ISBN 978-0-387-75180-1 doi:10.1007/978-0-387-75181-8
- ^ a b c d Luciano Pignataro
- ^ a b c ‘Annurca’ apple fruit, a southern Italy apple cultivar: textural properties and aroma composition
- ^ Annamaria Ciarallo, Gardens of Pompeii, J. Paul Getty Museum Publications, 2001 ISBN 0-89236-629-X (p. 20).
External links
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