Tasty Trentino apples in Italy's northern valleys

A trip to Trentino is not just about nature and sport, but also the intense smells and flavours of products that this land has produced for centuries. Amongst the great variety of fruit, the apple is queen.

Following the trail of the apples is to throw oneself into Italy's north-east area of Val Sugana, continuing along Adige Valley and then straight to the apples' kingdom, the Val di Non and Val di Sole. In these valleys more than four million apples of all varieties and sizes are produced each year and today, more than ever, they go to satisfy an overseas market.

Why? Because this extraordinary fruit, with its high quality, is one of mother nature's healthiest products. The apple is light, rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins and a true elixir to long life.

Each variety of the Trentino apples has its own particular characteristic, starting from the noble Golden Delicious with a rusty tone that shades one side of the apple. That which seems a stroke of nature's paintbrush is really the result of sudden temperature jumps applied to the apple before it matures.

Colour aside, a bite of a Golden apple is a true satisfaction for the palate and if that bite is savoured amongst the enchanting Trentino countryside, even more so. On top of the regal Golden, the Red Delicious is a red apple par excellence, with a smooth peel and shape so captivating that it's difficult to resist a bite.

The apple is the identity, history and tradition of Trentino itself. If it could speak, this simple fruit would be able to recount much of the age-old habits of the people that inhabit these north Italian valleys.