I see the phrase 'only in France' used frequently on social media, and it almost always irritates me -- because it is very rarely true. But in this case, I might just about get away with using it.
I photographed these apples at the market in Preuilly on Christmas Eve. Just as I was doing so my friend Bernadette came up and asked for two kilos of them, as her husband Alain adores them. Whilst it might not be only in France that apples with such obvious scars would be for sale, I certainly can't imagine less than perfect apples like this for sale in Australia.
I can remember buying the most beautiful shiny red apple in a supermarket once when we were back in Australia visiting family and friends. It tasted of absolutely nothing except bitter skin. What a swizz! Whereas, whilst they are in season and available, I can buy ugly deformed rough skinned Patte de Loup apples and enjoy their delicious appleyness, along with everyone else in the village. In the Loire Valley this is such a legendary variety that even the local supermarkets sell it.
Patte de Loup are an old local variety, grown in this case at the organic orchard on the edge of town. They are €3.20 a kilo. The scarring is a feature of the variety, and is a result of the way the fruit develops. Patte de Loup means 'wolf paw', and the scar is supposed to be the mark left by the wolf swiping the apple with its claws.
It is a variety that is very resistant to pests and disease. The fruit keeps a long time, with a sweet taste and an acidic finish, sometimes a hint of aniseed. They are medium sized, a bit flattened and have distinctive russet type rough greeny yellow brown skin.
4 comments:
My answer is YES!.... so tasty, we planted a Patte de Loup tree.....
we are so lucky around here veg&fruitwise!!
Knowing where to shop and what to look for is the key. Supermarket produce is often not that flavoursome and is well past its best in a few days. In fact in some supermarkets it's well past its best whilst still on sale!
The situation is different in the UK where fruit and veg are so much cheaper than in France, they usually keep much longer but are often fairly tasteless.
That's the first variety I thought of when I saw the scars. That is the only apple I remember from a visit to the verger conservatoire near Veigne on one of the Journees du Patrimoine. Ever since I've kept an eye out for that in the markets, as well as one you mentioned, Reinette du Mans. I think our visits aren't timed right for the long keepers.
Jean: The problem with supermarket fruit is that it is already 3 weeks since it was picked, minimum, by the time you see it on the shelf for sale.
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