Everything has a wild ancestor, and the apple tree, which originated in the mountains of Central Asia, is Malus sieversii. Not surprisingly, the species still exists today and apples have been thriving for tens of thousands of years. Nutritious, delicious and highly versatile, they are a mainstay of life the world over. Although often referred to as the "forbidden fruit," no one takes that seriously. In France, Henry VII was willing to pay top dollar (make that top franc) for apples, and his son Henry VIII maintained his own private orchard with multiple varieties. It seems that Catherine the Great craved Golden Pippin apples and had them brought to her palace in Russia. (When you're a queen, you can order out for anything.) Across the pond, another queen, Victoria, had a penchant for baked apples. She hired an expert nurseryman to breed a special variety for her alone, and as a result of her passion, the apple's popularity during her reign (Victorian England mid-n...
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