The Bardsey Apple - a story for foodies everywhere…
The Bardsey Apple is a bit of a rarity. Bardsey - Ynys Enlli in Welsh - is a small island off the tip of the Lleyn peninsular at the north end of Cardigan Bay. It has a religious history with a monastery having been founded there in the 13th Century. However, pre-Roman Celts are believed to have visited the island to pray and probably die while chasing the setting sun.
In 1998 one of the wardens on the island used some windfall apples from under an old tree to bait a mist net, which is used to catch birds; the birds are then ringed for research purposes. He noted that the apples were disease free. Unable to identify the apples they were sent to the UK National Fruit Collection in Kent where it was determined that the fruit and tree were unique. Thus, the tree obtained the title of “the rarest tree in the world”!
From the original tree on the island it has been possible to produce further trees and a good friend was given one as a gift. This year it’s produced a single fruit - the one in this post! The tree was probably pollinated by a neighbours bees so it is keeping a very tight grip on its Welsh heritage.
The apple is very tasty, slightly tart, with a good crunch. This one may have needed a little more time on the tree.
Read much more here at the Bardsey Apple homepage…
