The apple bow tie it is a unique varietywhose cultivation practically It is currently limited to the highest, coldest and most humid lands in the midlands of the Orotava Valley.. A traditional fruit that the Cabildo de Tenerife and the City Council of La Orotava want to save from disappearance through recognition. Genetic studies of the pajarita apple show that it is a unique variety of the Orotava Valley, with the mid-range neighborhoods of Camino de Chasna, Cañeño, Benijos and Aguamansa as the most representative areas for its conservation, areas with a cold and humid climate. It is defined as a juicy and somewhat acid fruit, green in color, which acquires some red and yellowish tones when it is ripe. Her CARACTERISTICS allow it to be used in the production of ciderdue to its good balance between acidity and sweetness.
The island councilor for Agriculture, Javier Parrilla, assures that the recent conferences on this apple variety, held in La Orotava, “intend to continue protecting, preserving and valuing the native products and varieties of Tenerife.” In addition, he recalls that “there are 33 apple varieties typical of Tenerife, all of them in conservation, although the pajarita apple, located mainly in the middle and upper areas of La Orotava, is one of the most symbolic and remembered”.
The insular director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cayetano Silva, adds that the Cabildo has been working since 2004 on the conservation of the pajarita, “with special collaboration with the farmers, who are the true conservators of this variety; the Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Center; Agricultural Extension; cooks, and nurserymen. That together they have made it possible for this ancient apple not to be lost.
