Calories in Apples

What makes apples so powerful?

The wild ancestor of the domesticated apple—Malus sieversii—grows in the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains in Kazakhstan. Genetic studies have confirmed that cultivated apples worldwide trace back to this single species. Kazakhstan's wild apple forests still contain remarkable genetic diversity, with trees producing fruits ranging from tiny and bitter to large and sweet. The Silk Road helped spread apple seeds across Europe and Asia, where they hybridized with local crabapple species, producing the thousands of varieties we know today. John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed—did plant apple trees across the American frontier in the early 1800s, but his apples were primarily used for hard cider, not eating. Before grafting became widespread, most apples grown from seed produced fruit too bitter or sour to eat raw; cider was simply the practical solution. Apples also float because they are roughly 25% air by volume—air pockets between cells keep them buoyant, which is why they bob in water.