"It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man".
The apple is one of the most interesting fruits or vegetables in the history of man. .
Its own history follows the path of man from his days of hunting and gathering to shopping at the local supermarket. There are few foods that are native to the entire world, the apple just so happens to be one of those foods. Thoreau was right in his statement; the apple has been connected to man almost since he came into being. The apple has endured thousands even possibly millions of years because of its tremendous ability to adapt to almost any environment. This adaptability, along with its many uses, has made the apple the most recognized fruit in the world. It can be eaten raw, cooked, or it can be processed to make many beverages. There are 2,500 domesticated, edible, types of apples in the world with millions more growing on almost every continent. This variety allows for more flavors from the same family of fruit than anyone can imagine, yet this trait is not taken advantage of. Of the 2,500 types of apples one can find, most people will try only a few in their lifetimes. For a fruit with the history and adaptability of the apple, this seems very unjust. .
The history of the apple is long and literally colorful; its relatives grow wild in every inhabited place on the earth. The domesticated apple has followed a long road to get to the point at which we know it today. It has traveled only to be domesticated and changed, and then it was taken further away from its home to be re-domesticated. When someone takes a bite into a red delicious apple in New York State, that apple is thousands of miles from its original home.
The domesticated apple, Malus Domestica, is a descendant of a strange tree from Eurasia. Malus Sieversii grows wild in the mountains of Kazakhstan, and in most of the forests is the dominant species of tree.
