We’ve all bitten into a ripe red apple expecting a juicy crunch only to be disappointed by something soft and mealy masquerading as a fresh apple.
Yep, it’s a cold storage demon biting you back yet again but how do you tell the difference?
Thankfully, for the next two months, all you have to do is look for the Kanzi apple label.
Kanzi apples have a season of a little more than 12 weeks In Australia. They are never frozen nor stored long term, but are sold “Fresh Off The Tree”.
Red and cream in colour, it is a natural cross between a juicy Gala and a tangy Braeburn apple. It has a refined sweet, yet tangy flavour combined with a beautiful crisp and juicy crunch, everything you could look for in an apple.
This European variety originally developed in Belgium Malus domestica (an orange pippin cultivar – Nicoter GKV NV) as a dessert variety. A limited number of Australian growers have now grown sufficient quantity for national distribution through major grocery retailers and greengrocers.
Kanzi facts:
• Eat them straight, in salads or cut up into fresh snacks showcases their juicy crunch.• They make excellent baking apples for delicate tarts or pies keep their shape and juiciness after cooking.
• Their unique sweet and tangy flavour profile mean Kanzis pair well with white, creamy cheeses and as well as strong cheeses like gorgonzola and other fruits such as figs.
• Kanzi means “hidden treasure” in Swahili
• The apples are grown in all major Australian apple growing regions such as Stanthorpe, Orange, Batlow, Mornington, Yarra, Adelaide Hills, Manjimup, Perth Hills, Huon.
Here are some recipes so you can get creative with your Kanzis.
Grilled Kanzi apple on Haloumi cheese
Ingredients (for 2):
2 Kanzi apples
1 pack Haloumi cheese,
approx. 150g
1 small aubergine
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch salt/pepper
2 bunches fresh mint
Method:
Remove apple cores and cut them diagonally into thick 1 cm slices. Cut the aubergine and the cheese into slices and marinate everything together in a bowl with the olive oil and
the lemon juice. Season with pepper and salt.
Preheat a grill pan and grill the aubergine, apple and cheese on both sides until dark strips appear. Return the ingredients to the bowl, then add herbs. If necessary, you can adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Stack the slices then garnish with pepper and the remaining mint to serve.
Tip:
Enjoy this dish as a snack or an accompaniment to grilled fish or meat, with pesto or olive oil and lemon.
Kanzi drink
An excellent drink idea for a lazy Sunday afternoon.Ingredients:
For two:
2 Kanzi apples
1 lime, squeezed
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 glass of crushed ice
200 ml green tea
A handful of fresh mint leaves
Method:
Slice the Kanzi apples and dice them into neat squares. Keep a slice as a garnish. Share the Kanzi cubes between the two cocktail glasses. Mix the lime, sugar, ice and tea in a blender. Pour the mixture over the apple cubes and garnish with mint and apple peel.
Tip: Try a Wodkanzi cocktail
You can create a super mix with only two ingredients. Juice a few Kanzi apples for fresh juice, then mix three parts of juice with one part vodka. Garnish with a slice of apple on the glass.
Tip: Kanzikorn cocktail
Scoop a few balls out of a Kanzi with a spoon, then mix Apfelkorn
and sparkling water in the proportions of your choice. Pour into a pretty glass filled with a few Kanzi balls and mint leaves.
Disclaimer: Ed+bK was gifted a box of apples. After extensive taste testing, I can guarantee these are crisp and sweet apples with a little bite at the end. Delicious.