On January 16th, Ibiti celebrated the planting of apples on its land with an entire day dedicated to this occasion. To mark the occasion, the Apple Festival was created by the Fruity Way team, a project coordinated by agronomist Gabriel Barbosa, who is responsible for the management and development of the orchard within Ibiti, among other activities.
“We planted around 200 apple trees. The expectation is that the first significant harvest will happen in approximately three years. The idea is to bring this technology to the region and, in the future, share it with other producers. Raspberries are already developing very well here, and we hope that apples will follow the same path. We want to combine fruit growing with tourism and the processed products that these fruits can generate, boosting the local economy from this apple planting experiment in the Ibiti Project,” celebrates Gabriel.
With a technical yet sensitive approach, the agronomist leads a process that makes apple cultivation possible in the mountains, combining technology, soil care, and organic management.
Flavor and culture
The Apple Festival was organized by the Community and started early in the morning. In the morning, apples were distributed to everyone arriving for work in Vila Mogol, reinforcing the spirit of sharing that guided the entire program.
Throughout the day, the fruit also featured prominently on the menu at the Yucca restaurant and cafeteria, with dishes such as strudel, baked apples, and apple and celery salad. Employees, guests, and visitors were able to savor apple-based recipes, each imbued with meaning.
The party took place in the Community tent, bringing together employees, guests, and visitors. The opening and closing ceremonies featured a performance by the Schmetterling German Dance Group from the Borboleta neighborhood in Juiz de Fora, which brought joy, movement, and relaxation to the event.
Creativity at the table
One of the highlights of the program was the Apple Festival's Gastronomic Competition, which featured eight dishes competing for prizes. Creativity took center stage: cakes, pies, ice cream, drinks, tea, and even apple-flavored "coxinha" (a Brazilian snack) showcased the fruit's versatility and the participants' talent.
Among so many delicious options, the recipe that won over the judges' palates and took first place was Bá's Apple Pie, prepared by biologist Maria Eduarda Branco, from the Biodiversity Department of Ibiti.
“Bá is my maternal grandmother, with whom I spent a large part of my childhood. It was in this close relationship that my passion for cooking arose. Many of my memories involve the two of us preparing recipes, talking, and listening to the radio together. When the contest was announced, the first thing I did was ask her for the recipe for this pie, which has become a family tradition, always praised at birthdays and celebrations. It was a way to honor Bá, faithfully following the recipe,” says Maria Eduarda.
The dishes were evaluated by a technical jury composed of five guests from restaurants in the Ibitipoca region: Cristiano, from Cabra da Peste; Thays, from Casa Roça; Guilherme, from Quitutes da Beth; Taty, from Engenho Lodge; and Fábio, from Ibiti Village.
Those who participated in the Apple Festival were also able to sample the competing dishes and enjoy apple juice and cake, in an afternoon marked by culture, exchange, and celebration in Ibiti.
Winners of the Gastronomic Competition
🥇 1st place – Bá's Apple Pie
Maria Eduarda Branco, biologist from the Department of Biodiversity
🥈 2nd place – Cheesecake of the Senses
Terida Guanipa Munoz, Venezuelan member of the Yucca restaurant team
🥉 3rd place – Apple Pie and Drink
Lidiana Helena de Paula, a member of the Gaia Café team
Check out the award-winning recipe.
Bá's Apple Pie
By Maria Eduarda Branco
Ingredients
Mass
1½ cups of wheat flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon of baking powder
4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
Cream
1 can of condensed milk
1 can of milk (use the condensed milk can as a measure)
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 yolk
½ carton of heavy cream
Apple dessert
6 peeled and sliced apples
10 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of water
Juice of ½ lemon
How to prepare
Mass
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with your hands until you obtain a smooth dough. Line the bottom and sides of a springform pan, pressing firmly. Using a fork, prick the dough all over and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Cream
Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk and strain it into a saucepan. Strain the egg yolk and add it to the mixture. Add the condensed milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and pulling away from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and then stir in the cream. Set aside.
Apple dessert
In a saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar forms a syrup and the apples are soft. Add the lemon juice, mix well, and remove from heat.
Assembly
Once the crust is baked and cooled, spread the cream evenly over the base. Then, distribute the apple compote on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled.
