Aport is one of the most famous and oldest apple varieties in the world. Historians disagree about where the aport's homeland is. For example, an apple tree came to Russia from the Kingdom of Poland, and the seedlings were brought there from the present territory of Turkey. Surprisingly, in each area where this variety is grown, the fruits have their own unique taste.
What is the tastiest aport?
The varieties of aport "Alexander" and "blood-red" are widely known. But apples grown in the mountainous environs of the Kazakh city of Almaty have received worldwide recognition. It is believed that the aport feels best in the climatic conditions of the southern capital of Kazakhstan. These apples are very aromatic. It is enough to bring a couple of fruits into the house, and the whole room will be enveloped in a wonderful smell.
Almaty aport is a variety that migrants from the Voronezh province brought with them to Verny (modern Almaty) and crossed with the local wild-growing Sivers apple tree.
The taste of a ripe Almaty aport is juicy, sweet and sour, with slight spicy notes. Apples ripen in autumn, towards the end of September. They have a bright red color. And there are legends about the size of Almaty apples. The fruits are large enough - on average 400-600 grams. There are cases when apples reached 1200 grams. Aport is stored for a long time. If you keep the crop in a cool room, you can enjoy its wonderful taste almost all winter.
Aport is a symbol of the southern capital of Kazakhstan. Guests of Almaty try to bring at least a couple of famous apples from here as a souvenir.
Meanwhile, this apple variety is quite capricious. The changeable nature of the weather, insect pests affect fertility. The famous Almaty aport grows exclusively in the zone of the Zailiyskiy and Dzhungarskiy Alatau between 900 and 1200 meters above sea level. Ripening in such mountain conditions, apples have that unique and incomparable taste. But this does not mean that the aport does not grow in other regions. It grows, only below this strip it overripe, and the one that is grown above is not sweet enough. It is also worth noting that the trees are not hardy. And apple trees begin to bear fruit 15 years after planting.
Once Almaty was famous for its apples all over the world. Harvests from local gardens were transported throughout the former Soviet Union. Unfortunately, today there is practically nothing left of those gardens.
Where to eat apples?
In addition to Kazakhstan, aport with approximately the same taste is grown in America - in the state of Washington. True, here these apples are called Red Delicious. It turns out that once upon a time, farmers brought here seeds of aport from Asia. The grown trees have taken root very well in the United States. Indeed, the climatic conditions of the State of Washington are akin to the Zailiyskiy Alatau. That is why Red Delicious apples have almost the same taste as Almaty aport - sweet and sour.
