apples

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

I never realised I had a view on this subject until my daughters prompted me. I'd just never paid adequate attention to the whole question of what kind of apple I was eating, right up to the age of well over 40 that I was a few years ago. Wrong, wrong, wrong. How could I ignore the distinctions? It feels unbelievable in retrospect.

But now my daughters have raised my consciousness level. They always ask for "red" (i.e. red/yellow) apples when we go food-shopping. In other words, not green apples. Which has made me reflect.

And, frankly, realise the obvious. Green apples rock. They have tartness, a beautiful appley edginess. Red/yellow apples are bland, semi-sweet rubbish, of precisely the kind that would appeal to the under-18s and be anathema to sophisticated grown-ups.

Anyone disagree?

[Guest]

apples

I feel like throwing up if I eat a green apple.

That's not meant as I dislike the taste, which I don't, it means they do something in my stomach which makes me feel sick.

My mother has the same thing.

[Guest]

apples

Another thing, for about two years now, every now and then when I brush my teeth, I will be throwing up due to tooth paste taste in my mouth.

My mother has the same thing.

[Sam]

apples

'Green' and 'red'? You really haven't thought about it much, have you.

Gala for me, most days, although braeburns are nice as well. Granny Smiths I normally find a bit tart, but from time to time I like one. And russets are nice. Golden delicious... slightly overrated.

[EIM]

apples

Apples are shit.

[erwin]

apples

Cox's orange pippin. The best apple in the word - official!

Best supper ever: a glass (or seven) of red wine; an apple - cored and sliced finely; strong cheddar - also sliced finely.

Instructions: put a sliver of apple and cheddar in your mouth at the same time; munch a little; pour a little wine in and over the mulch.

Drift off into heaven.

[Guest]

apples

erwin wrote:

Cox's orange pippin. The best apple in the word - official!

Best supper ever: a glass (or seven) of red wine; an apple - cored and sliced finely; strong cheddar - also sliced finely.

Instructions: put a sliver of apple and cheddar in your mouth at the same time; munch a little; pour a little wine in and over the mulch.

Drift off into heaven.

I must try that.

(if it tastes like shit I will come back and shoot you)

[Guest]

apples

Braeburns. Always Braeburns.

[Guest]

apples

So, why do apples have bloody names, while water melons and pine apples don't? Fucking racist fruit twattery!

[caja-dglh]

apples

Melons do. Water Melons and Pineapples are an individual type and species, or so I believe.

[Max Payne]

apples

McIntosh, guys. King of them all.

Golden Delicious is hellspawn.

[Furtho]

apples

Golden delicious... slightly overrated.

Who the hell rates Golden Delicious?

[Kurt Bafokeng]

apples

Do you get Boskoop in England? If not, I pity you. They easily sit atop the league table.

[Wyatt Earp]

apples

Kurt Mondschein wrote:

Do you get Boskoop in England? If not, I pity you. They easily sit atop the league table.

No, nothing beats our English Cox, ah ha ha ha.

[Sundeporino]

apples

Royal Gala. The ones from New Zealand that they sell in the Turkish supermarket at the bottom of the high street. Lovely.

[linus]

apples

A lot of the apple varietals are regional, I hadn't heard of some of those above. Quebec produces outstanding apples, and some of the most compelling apple-based spirits and ciders (ice ciders, obtained by letting the fruit shrivel on the tree through the first half of the brutally harsh local winters, which adds a nice palette of flavors to the fruit in addition to concentrating their sweetness). Cortlands are the best to eat straight, great firmness, nice finish on the thin skin (which is dark red and bright green with a mate sheen similar to what you see on a dark prune), superb balance of tart and sweet with plenty of fruity intensity. The tradition here is to pick a huge bagful from the orchards at harvest time in mid-september and leave them out on your balcony till the first frosts at the end of october, by which time they'd be gone.

The only apples that I've liked as much were the fujis, originally from Japan but introduced in the Northwest by Japanese-American farmers. Those have a very nice floral bouquet, a slight honey aftertaste.

Cheddar with apples is good, but I prefer that sweet brown norwegian cheese whose name escapes me, it bridges that sweetness gap nicely with the fruit.

The Berkeley Bowl, one of the best grocery stores in N. America, stocks around 50 to 55 different types of apples under its roof at season's peak. For kicks, we once had a knockoff with a few dozen varietals one time at my house.

PS Ganja: you were probably nauseous because of the wax compound they put on the supermarket apples in order to extend their shelf lives, I can't stomach that either.