Ingredient of the Year

British Columbia Apples

There’s a top apple every year, a leader whose crispness and sugar balance make one Whole Foods barrel empty before all the others. Ambrosia had its year (and took pride of place in this magazine’s “101 Things to Taste” list); Braeburn has had more than one turn on top. Honeycrisp, Gala-what these offerings share is the tiny B.C. Leaf sticker that marks 800 growers as producers of B.C. Tree Fruits apples. Chef Ned Bell, of the reborn Hotel Georgia, hits the Trout Lake market all summer and Nat Bailey market in winter: “These are gifts of nature, these apples. It’s amazing to check in each week with the farmers and work within the growing seasons.” Chef David Hawksworth, who will soon open Hawksworth, also in the Hotel Georgia, says this region produces “the highest-quality apples I’ve ever tried.” He loves to serve caramelized B.C. Hyslop crabapples-core and slice in half; brush with melted butter; sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar; broil until caramelized and slightly soft-with roast pork.

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