What’s the best apple?

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Apple harvest time has been and gone – and with it came a rush of autumnal vibes in some of the world’s harvesting regions. 

Actually, apple picking started earlier this year, as warmer temperatures in winter and spring triggered a premature (but still successful) harvest.

In the US, a seventh-generation apple farmer named Pam Torres told Food Dive, “It has been a great season all the way around. This year’s apples are growing red and robust, unlike last year’s crop,” – which was saturated with a heavy rain season.

In countries with an autumn apple season, the fruit means much more than just…fruit. 

Getting cosy with apples

Apples have a long history in folklore and mythology – and different countries have their own take on the meaning of apples. 

But today we want to focus on the profound cosiness of the apple harvesting season: the sense of the days darkening, of going inside, of welcoming a new season and resting after a busy period. 

Steaming apples into pies and crumbles, or preserving them for later months. Cutting them neatly into rings and drying them out. The sweet earthy scent that infuses the air as we slice them and bake them.

And we want to know your perspective on the best variety of apples. Because everyone has a favourite, don’t they? 

A brief list of popular apples…

• Granny Smith: Originally cultivated in Australia, this green, sweet apple is one of the most popular varieties worldwide.
• Gala: A mild, crisp and reddish apple cultivatar first grown in New Zealand, these are favourites in the US.
• Fuji: An apple cultivatar developed in the 1930s at the Tōhoku Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan – it was brought to market in 1962, and remains Japan’s bestseller.
• Braeburn: Our personal favourite, the sweetness of the braeburn (first discovered in New Zealand in the 1950s) is perfectly offset by just a little sharp tang, and it has the perfect crunch. 

They pack a nutritional punch

Apples aren’t just about the autumn aesthetic, though. They’re nutritional powerhouses, offering a high volume of fibre and health-supportive antioxidants. 

Two hundred grams of apple provides 104 calories, 28 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of fibre. Plus 10% of your daily recommended intake (DRI) of Vitamin C; 6% DRI of copper; 5% of potassium; and 4% of vitamin K. 

They’re linked to a lower chance of diabetes, improved weight loss, improved heart and gut health, and one study even (tentatively) suggests that apples could protect your brain from damage caused by oxidative stress.

What’s your favourite apple?  

A one-year-old Reddit thread asked users for their opinions on the best apple variety. And the comments got busy – with wild claims about the irrefutable superiority of every kind of apple, from the golden delicious to the elstar. The arguments were heated. In short, what we learnt from Reddit is that people really care about their apples. 

So we’re putting ourselves out there and bringing this contentious debate into the InFlavour community. What’s your favourite apple variety – and why do you love it so much?

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