For me there is no more enjoyable fruit than the apple. And I think the apple is actually underrated for its transformative potential, despite it being hailed as one of Nature's greatest foods.
We are all familiar with most of the stats of the apple--rich in antioxidants, with loads of phytonutrients, rich in Vitamin A, C, and a great source of fiber.
Yeah, that's all great, but something President Bill Clinton talks about is eating the whole apple. He says doing this is the reason he hasn't gotten cancer, and with a belief like that, I'm inclined to believe him. Most people just leave the core, mostly because it is a bit tougher than the rest of the apple, and there is some misinformation out there about apple seeds being toxic. It is true that apple seeds contain very small amounts of cyanide. The body easily disposes of small amounts of cyanide, and it would take eating the seeds of hundreds of apples all at once to actually poison the body, so this bit of information has been blown out of proportion.
I, too, eat the entire apple, but it is for deeper reasons. First, the apple is a dental workout. Biting into a fresh, crunchy apple requires some actual biting effort, but the sweet reward after this small effort seems to spur one on to the next bite. It's a metaphor for effort and reward in life.
Chewing the apple has so many satisfying textures and levels to it. There's the skin that keeps the broken chunks of the apple intact while you chew, the juice is light and refreshing, and the pithy core and seed chamber massages the gums and makes you feel like you're eating something kind of wild, but really good for you.
It's the satisfaction of all these factors that appeals (pardon the pun) to me so much about the apple. I think the combination of textures, juice, and mastication force is why once you're done with the apple, it feels like you've eaten much more than you have. Hence, the apple teaches us that life is more than having--it is the enjoyment and the experience of it that matters most.
Of all the foods along the way, give me an apple any day...
