How it all began:
the magical story behind our KIKU, from Japan via South Tyrol to Germany and the world. In the hands of our family.
Apple expert Luis Braun, born in South Tyrol in 1941, founds the Braun Nurseries and starts growing apple trees.
On a trip to Japan, Luis Braun visits a Fuji orchard, where he spots a branch sporting the beautifully colored natural mutation Fuji KIKU®8 Brak(S)—an apple variety that will also develop its attractive color when grown in South Tyrol. Years of testing follow, involving the ongoing cultivation and careful selection of mother trees in cooperation with research institutes.
“This was it: the moment I’d been working so hard to reach. I had it all carefully planned out and had run through everything I needed to do in my head a thousand times or more. First I had to strip the leaves quickly from the branch and remove the top of the shoot straightaway. Then I had to wrap the scion in wet napkins and carefully transport it to my hotel room, where I had already emptied the minibar so I could keep my priceless treasure somewhere cold and dark. I held the branch—my branch—in my hand, lifted the shears, took a deep breath in and out to steady myself—and made the cut.”
The first apple trademark is registered: KIKU®. The name does not refer to a variety, but a registered trademark, and expresses the spirit behind our favorite apple.
KIKU Srl is founded: a major step forward!
KIKU becomes increasingly popular: The first international KIKU meetings are held around our headquarters in Cornaiano/Girlan, and apple experts from all across the globe start expressing their interest in our apple. Our partners worldwide start cultivating and distributing KIKU.
KIKU launches its sports sponsoring programs for young athletes. We support our KIKU athletes all along the way, through the ups and downs of their careers: in times of success and defeat, when celebrating medals, but also when pushing through injury, forming true friendships along the way. We run special programs dedicated to young athletes, including the KIKU Sports Academy. What brings us all together? Our shared love for physical activity, honest relationships, and a healthy lifestyle!
We celebrate 30 years of KIKU, and our apple trademark gets a modern makeover, staying true to KIKU’s motto: “fresh apple emotion”!
Our KIKU—fresh and crispy, sweet and healthy. During sport and at work, in delicious recipes or simply as a snack: the right source of energy for your active life