Sunday, April 12, 2009

How do you like them (Japanese) apples?

Granny Smith in between Japanese Aomori apples

Having gone through most of the Japanese orange selection at the market, I've now shifted my attention toward the apples, most of which have been eye-poppingly huge and individually wrapped in protective foam sleeves. I grabbed one of the big ones plus some tiny golf ball-sized ones that I'd never seen before either (a normal Granny Smith is shoved in the middle there for scale).

At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the one on the right, as it was so big that it almost could have fed a family of four. But after having tasted a slice, I was very glad that it was so big, as I kept wanting more. It was very delicate in flavor (only mildly sweet), but it was so juicy that one could almost call it thirst-quenching. And of course it was perfectly firm without any of that nasty mushiness that I hate about common apples.

I couldn't say the same about the little one on the left though. It may look a bit like a plum in the photo, but it was an apple, and was sold in a box for about S$10 (US$6.50). It didn't really taste any different from regular old Red Delicious apples - and unfortunately, this box might have been around for a while as the texture was disappointingly mushy. The small size also made it a bit annoying to eat considering that it was too easy to bite into the seeds in the core. But that didn't matter; I was totally stuffed from eating that giant apple on the right anyway...that thing was almost a meal on its own.

3 comments:

Kathy said...

Your picture composition for this shot is really good.

There's balance in more ways than one, from the gaps between the apples and I liked the way the largest apple sorta "leaned toward" the smaller one. As if to compensate for the size. Like how Carla Bruni stands when she's beside her shorter husband. Haha.

Have you tried Pink Lady apples? I love those, the smell is wonderful, but the taste. Wow.

Somehow those in Cold Storage are a twinge sourish, compared to what one gets in Europe. I wonder if transportation would affect the taste like this?

Anonymous said...

An apple tree is in full bloom, in my front yard. I comes into bloom as the pear tree blooms fade. I love apples, fresh or in pies, canned, jelly etc... I love fresh pears, and I have a friend that makes great pear peserves. That looks like a Giant "Gaila" apple - the big one, that is. Most apples I have seen that large are mushy, fit only for cooking, cider, ( mmm, beer or wine!) juice, or vinegar. I have also raised strawberries, and (without much luck around here- blueberries) and blackberries are plentiful, if you care to bleed while picking them. Damn. It is a common vareiety around here in the grocery stores. Small, but crisp and firm, keeps well, not too sweet, or sour. Not june apples, or horse apples ( no, I did not mean that) Nor Rusty coats. I am stumped. But it is a very good apple, just not grown around here much. It is GREAT. It is an Oriental name.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I love those Japanese Fuji apples... They are the best! I refuse to eat other types of apples but Fuji apples!