It’s a magical time that begins when the apple trees bloom in May and lasts until September, when their boughs sag under the weight of juicy, sun-ripened fruit. Jabłonki marks the escape from the winter weather and salutes the arrival of the sun. In recent times, the Jabłonki have been celebrated with a festival of the same name, a months-long celebration of nature, feasting and music, with apples at its heart. These three heavenly creatures, known for their abundance of generosity, intelligence and beauty, would kiss the apples grown in their orchard and imbue the fruit with the power of eternal youth. The special sweetness of Polish apples is tied to the legend of the Jabłonki – the ‘apple sisters’. Every Pole has a favourite variety and an equally steadfast opinion on the subject, while every greengrocer in the land must stock five different kinds of apple to keep up with demand. The orchards dotting the countryside near Sandomierz are home to an abundance of sought-after cultivars: Costel’s apple, Roter Eiserapfel, White Calville, Antonovka, Reinette. Cistercian monks created the first orchards here in the 12th century, cultivating varieties only found in Poland and still grown and exported today. Nowhere have they held more significance than Poland, one of the most important apple producers in the world. Symbols of love, sin, fertility and immortality, apples have played a leading role in tales and myths since ancient times.
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