Delicious Pilafa Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
The Delicious Pilafa apple is large in size and oblong-conical, though individual fruits can be irregular in shape. This apple has a somewhat rough skin, greenish-yellow in color overlaid with a red-gold blush on the side that faced the sun while growing. The skin also has dark brown freckles spattered throughout. Inside, the white flesh of the Delicious Pilafa apple is juicy and firm. The excellent taste is fairly tart, but the most unusual characteristic of the Delicious Pilafa is its prominent aroma of bananas.
Seasons/Availability
Delicious Pilafa apples are available in the winter through spring.
Current Facts
Delicious Pilafa apples (botanical name Malus domestica) come from the Peloponnese region of Greece. The original tree from which the Delicious Pilafa seed was planted may have been a Golden Russet. They are a local apple variety that has received a Product of Designation of Origin (PDO) certifying its source. The name of this variety in Greek is sometimes Mila Tripoleos, or a combination of that name and Delicious Pilafa.
Nutritional Value
Apples are nutritious parts of a balanced diet. They contain fiber, including pectin, and flavonoids such as quercetin. The nutrients in apples help protect against cancer, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, weight gain, and heart disease. One medium apple contains about 95 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrates, along with 3 grams of fiber.
Applications
This variety can be served as a dessert apple, and also serves as a good cooking and baking apple. Delicious Pilafa apples can be served as a snack with honey, sliced into green salads, or baked into pies and tarts with raisins and nuts. Delicious Pilafa apples are a long-lasting variety that has a good shelf life if kept in proper cool, dry storage.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The Delicious Pilafa apple is a Product of Designation of Origin (PDO) from Tripoli, Arcadia, in Greece. PDO is given by the European Union to foods that come from a specific place and whose qualities come from growing or being produced in a specific environment. Consumers know where their food is coming from when they purchase an apple or other product with a specific PDO.
Geography/History
Ilias Pilafa first grew this variety in Tripoli, Greece, after bringing some apple seeds with him from America. He planted the seeds in the 1920s and harvested fruit from a surviving tree, leading to today’s Delicious Pilafa apples. In 1997, the variety was given the PDO label. Today, they are harvested by hand and production is at about 4000 tons a year. Delicious Pilafa apples grow in the mountains—they grow only above 600 meters above sea level in Tripoli in Arcadia prefecture, in the Peloponnese region of Greece.
