Maçã de Portalegre

These apples hail from the Esmolfe de Bravo variety, which was derived from the cross-breeding of the Camoesa and Melapio apple varietals in the Portalegre region in Upper Alentejo in Portugal. These trees bear fruit every other year, and the fruit is hand-harvested with traditional, specially-made wooden baskets with a soft lining to protect the fruit from bruising.

The apples are yellow to green in color with typical red spots dispersed throughout. The flavor is delicately sweet with a fragrant, intense aroma. Portalegre apples are usually eaten after a meal or used in the production of fruit juices and desserts.