Apples are a common fruit. They grow in temperate regions around the world, but not in the tropics nor in polar regions. The scientific name of the apple tree is Malus. The world’s leading apple-growing countries are the United States, Italy, Germany, Japan, and France.
Like most common fruits, apples belong to the rose family of plants. Other members of this family include the pear, peach, plum, cherry, apricot, blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry. Wild apples, called crab apples, are hard and sour. But over several centuries man has cultivated apples that are sweet to taste. Apple growers have produced many different kinds of apples of varying sweetness. They may also range in color from light yellow through green to deep red, and in texture from hard and crisp to soft and juicy.
The Scientific Name of Apple Tree – Malus
Apples are a good fruit to eat raw. They are about five-sixths water, the remaining sixth consisting of sugar, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and other acids, and rough indigestible matter that gives the fruit its bulk. Apples are also used for cooking sweet dishes, and cider is brewed from fermented apples. The apple is a common symbol in religion and legend. The forbidden fruit that Eve offered Adam in the Garden of Eden is usually thought to have been an apple.
