Яблоко Апорт
The Aport apple was introduced to Kazakhstan by immigrants from the Voronezh province of Russia in the mid-1850s, and the first orchards of this variety appeared in the Alatau Mountains near Almaty, in southeastern Kazakhstan. It is in this area where the apple developed into the high quality fruit that it is today. The fruits are large, averaging 220-250 grams each, though some individual fruits of 800 grams or more have also been seen. The fruit is of medium density, and the skin is smooth with a waxy bloom. The skin is mainly yellowish-green, with a bright red blush and shades of darker red.
The Aport apple generally ripens in the middle of September, and the fruit can be stored until mid-January or early February. Due to the particular geographical charecteristcs of the area (soil conditions, climate, etc.), these fruits obtain their large size and delicate aroma. The Aport apple is particularly well suited to drying for later consumption. It is considered asto be the symbol of Almaty, the second capital of the country. Today, however, Aport apple orchards make up only about 5% of apple orchards in the area. Many specimens are found in old, unproductive gardens. While the fruit is still sold today by individual producers, there is declining interest in this variety. One reason is that the trees only bear fruit after eight to ten years, as opposed to modern apple varieties, which can provide fruit after just three to five years. Furthermore, these trees experience alternate years of abundant fruiting, which is to say that after a very pronounced period of fruiting, the tree will be less productive the following year, and so it is being abandoned in favor of varieties that produce consistently each year.
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