KZBlog

Oxford University has just published research demonstrating that apples really did originate in Kazakhstan, by tracing genes in apples. The Story of the Apple, by Dr Barrie Juniper describes his research. He also notes that sadly due to Soviet policies and a focus on the oil economy, the apple forests of Kazakhstan are all but dead.

This is no news to residents. My own wife remembers her grandmother’s apples, which were as big as a baby’s head, grown outside Almaty. Now that area is all villas for the rich and powerful. When I go to the store to buy apples, I find plenty of Russian and Chinese apples and even apples from Kyrgyzstan, but rarely any local apples. Hopefully this book and research will encourage businessmen or the government to revive the Kazakh apple. After all, being the home of the world’s best apples would be a pretty effective form of brand-imaging.