Mela Rosa Apple of the Sibillini: What It Is, Recipes and Where to Buy
Mela rosa dei Monti Sibillini, the pink apple of the Sibillini, is the name of an ancient apple, also called mela rosa marchigiana. The fruit is small to medium-sized, flattened and irregular. It grows in the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata, between 450 and 900 meters above sea level. The harvest takes place in the first ten days of October. Because it keeps for a long time, the mela rosa can be found and eaten until the following spring.
The name comes from the wine-red streaks over the deep green of the still-unripe fruit, and from the rose scent of the flowers, which grow in clusters. It is a Slow Food Presidium. It is eaten raw, but is also used in cooking: in cakes, compotes and mostarde (fruit preserves). Other local products are on the page on Sibillini local food products.
Mela rosa apple of the Sibillini: origin and characteristics
The mela rosa is native to the provinces of Ascoli Piceno and Macerata. It grows in hilly, foothill and valley areas, between 450 and 900 meters above sea level. The fruit is described as the ecotype "Assam - R 101". On October 13, 2005 it was included in the regional project for the recovery and promotion of apple germplasm in the Marche.
The fruit is small to medium-sized. The shape is flattened, irregular and asymmetrical, typical of the oldest varieties. The skin is smooth and of medium thickness and the stem is very short. Apples from the Tronto foothills often have some russeting near the stem. The flesh is translucent white, firm and crisp, usually not very juicy. The flavor is sweet and slightly tart.
The tree is hardy, adaptable and resistant to cold. The mela rosa resists apple scab, plant diseases and parasitic insects well. The credit goes to the altitude of the growing area and above all to the genetic qualities of the ecotypes, selected over the centuries. So it needs few or no treatments, and the fruit is considered intrinsically organic.
The harvest falls in the first ten days of October. The apple keeps for a long time in open-air fruit stores, until the following spring. In the past it was also kept in straw, to protect it from winter dampness. That is why it is also called the "mela del fienile" (hayloft apple).
The history of the Sibillini mela rosa apple
The pink apples of the Sibillini already existed in Roman times. They are remembered as one of the ancient fruits of the Marche hinterland. The Latin poet Horace also mentions them in his Satires. He compares them to the apples of Tivoli and writes that those of Picenum are less beautiful but tastier.
They were also known in the time of the Medici, between the 15th and 18th centuries. In 1649 the agronomist Vincenzo Tanara included them among the subjects of rural life in the Italy of his day. Between the 17th and 18th centuries they appear, with their variety names clearly identified, in the paintings of Bartolomeo Bimbi.
For centuries the mela rosa was grown here and there, in vegetable gardens and small family orchards in the foothills. It was used mainly for household needs, because it kept for a long time. In the past it was eaten cooked under the embers or in ovens. It was used as a filling for sweets, or turned into mostarda or cooking compote to accompany meat dishes.
Not very attractive commercially, the mela rosa had been almost completely abandoned. It has recently returned to production, thanks to a few surviving trees. The ecotypes preserved by the agri-food services of the Marche Region also contributed.
How to eat the mela rosa apple
The mela rosa is eaten raw, but gives its best in cooking. Small, squat and plain-looking, it hides an intense, aromatic flavor and scent, qualities that make it suitable for cakes and desserts. Its not-very-juicy flesh also helps in baked dishes. The apples are fairly "dry" and perfect for an apple-pie-style cake.
Mela rosa apple cake. A local recipe calls for 1 kg of apples, 120 g of plain yogurt, 70 g of butter, 250 g of sugar, a packet of baking powder, 300 g of type 0 flour, 4 eggs and 100 g of shelled walnuts. The apples, cut into irregular pieces, macerate for a few minutes with vino cotto or rum and a few spoonfuls of sugar. Whip the eggs with the sugar until fluffy. Then add the other ingredients and, last, the apples and walnuts. The cake bakes in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes. Single-serving molds take about 20 minutes. With a scoop of vanilla gelato, it works for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert.
Mela rosa compote. A simple preparation, also suitable as a gift. You need 1 kg of apples, 350 g of sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a lemon. The apples, peeled and cut into pieces, cook with the sugar and lemon juice over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the cinnamon and continue until the apples are soft enough to mash. The compote is then poured into sterilized jars.
With mistrà. Another idea pairs two Sibillini products. It is a cake with mela rosa jam and 30 ml of mistrà, the anise liqueur. At the end, more spoonfuls of jam are spread over the top.
Tradition offers other, older uses. The apple is cooked under the embers or in the oven, or becomes mostarda or cooking compote to accompany meats.
Where to buy the mela rosa apple
The best time to find fresh apples is fall, after the early October harvest. Thanks to its long keeping, the fruit remains available until spring. Cultivation is scattered and small-scale, so it is worth asking in advance in the foothill areas between Ascoli Piceno and Macerata.
In the fall the mela rosa is the star of two festivals in the Sibillini area, in Montedinove and Monte San Martino. They are occasions to get to know the product, but dates change every year and should be checked. Besides the fresh fruit there are processed products, such as mela rosa jams and compotes.