Tessa® Apples
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Tessa® apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 7.5 to 9 centimeters in diameter, and have an elongated, cylindrical shape with sloping shoulders and a flat base. Each fruit will vary in appearance and weight, depending on growing conditions and the season, and the fruit’s stalk is long, woody, and green to brown, connected to the apple through a deep and broad cavity featuring some russet. The skin is semi-thick, smooth, and taut, with a pleasantly firm and chewy consistency. The surface may also display moderate ribbing, giving the skin a bumpy feel, showcase tan-colored lenticels, and the occasional bloom may appear but can be easily wiped away. Tessa® apples have a golden yellow base and are almost entirely covered in a vibrant, red-to-dark red blush. The blush is often advertised as Ferrari red in various marketing materials and is comprised of solid patches of color mixed with mottling and striping. Underneath the surface, the white to cream-colored flesh is fine-grained, firm, and aqueous, with a crunchy consistency bursting with juice. The flesh also encases a central fibrous core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. Tessa® apples are edible when ripe and release a fragrant, sweet, and fruity aroma. The fruits will feel heavy for their size, indicating high juice content, and have a refreshingly sweet, subtly tangy, bright, and fruity taste.
Seasons/Availability
Tessa® apples are harvested in the fall, with a peak season from late September through the end of October. Once picked, the variety can be properly stored and sold for several months, extending the apple’s availability into the winter and early spring.
Current Facts
Tessa® apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern European variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The mid-to-late-season fruits were developed in the early 21st century and were selected as a new commercial cultivar for their firm, crunchy texture and sweet taste. Tessa® apples are a club variety sustainably grown and packaged by select growers to ensure the apples meet a consistent quality and standard. Growers favor the variety for its vigorous, productive, and easy-to-produce nature, and the trees are carefully watched year-round. Each year, the trees' blossoms are thinned to select only the blooms that will receive the most sun, and during freezing temperatures, the trees are sprayed with water to freeze over the blossoms. This process maintains a consistent temperature for the delicate blossoms and prevents them from falling prematurely. When the fruits begin to form, only the most uniform and well-developed apples are kept on the tree, and excess leaves are stripped to allow ample sunlight to color the fruit’s surface. Tessa® apples are only harvested ripe and are hand-picked for sale as a dessert variety. Consumers value Tessa® apples for their sweet and firm texture, and the apples are promoted as an on-the-go snack.
Nutritional Value
Tessa® apples have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Like other bi-colored commercial apples, the variety may be a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, and calcium to protect bones and teeth. The apples also provide magnesium to control nerve functions, antioxidants to reduce inflammation while protecting the cells against free radical damage, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, and other nutrients, including zinc, vitamin K, vitamin E, boron, and copper.
Applications
Tessa® apples have a sweet, subtly tangy taste suited for fresh or cooked preparations. The variety is primarily positioned as a table apple, meaning the fruits are eaten out of hand. Tessa® apples can be eaten with or without the skin, depending on preference, and the firm flesh provides a crisp consistency to salads, cheese boards, and fruit medleys. The apples can also be layered into sandwiches, served on parfaits, or chopped as an edible topping for oatmeal, pancakes, and grain bowls. Try incorporating Tessa® apples as a dipping vessel for nut butter, caramel, or other spreads as a sweet snack. Tessa® apples can also be blended into smoothies and shakes or pressed into fruit juices. In addition to fresh preparations, Tessa® apples can occasionally be simmered into jams, jellies, sauces, and other preserves. Tessa® apples pair well with flavorings such as maple syrup, vanilla, and chocolate, spices including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, and nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans. Whole, unwashed Tessa® apples will keep for several weeks to months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place such as a cellar or refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Tessa® is a marketing brand name for the variety, initially called Fengapi. It is said the name Fengapi was created from a combination of the words Feno, the name of the company that developed the variety, and Gala and Pink, from the names of the two apple parent varieties. After the variety was commercially announced, Tessa® was chosen as the apple’s leading name for retail markets. Tessa® is taken from Theresia, a name derived from the Greek word “theros,” meaning “summer,” “harvest,” or “to reap.” This name was chosen as it is thought to embody the essence of the apple and its abundant, prolific nature during the traditional harvest season.
Geography/History
Tessa® apples are native to Europe and were developed in the early 21st century in Codevigo, Italy. The variety was created from a cross between Gala apples, the female parent, and Pink Rose apples, the male parent, in 2002 and was part of an Italian breeding program seeking to create improved apple cultivars. The variety was initially called Fengapi and was selected for further testing, evaluations, and propagation over several years. In 2018, Fengapi apples were featured at Interpoma, an international trade show dedicated to apples, and an agreement was signed allowing Italy to market the variety exclusively for a time period. Later, in 2020, the variety was officially released under Tessa® at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, and 2021 marked the apple’s first commercial season, seeing success in markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Today, Tessa® apples are marketed globally through select partners, and the apples are grown in the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Spain, and Germany. Possible partnerships are also being discussed for production in the United States and in countries of the Southern Hemisphere.
