We’ve all grown up with apples, probably learning about them before we even tackled the alphabet. You know the classic, “A for apple,” or that catchy saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Apples are crunchy, juicy and bursting with flavour while being packed with essential nutrients. You can munch on them as they are, whip up a delicious salad, mix them with sugar for a tasty jam, or bake them into a comforting pie. If you’re an apple fan, this article is just for you! Let’s take a look at the various mouthwatering types of this fantastic fruit.
Here Are 8 Varieties You Absolutely Need To Try:
1. Ambri Apple
Photo: iStock
Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, the Ambri variety was once one of the most popular apples in India, known as the “King of Kashmir.” It has a crisp texture, a sweet aroma, and a balanced sweet-tart flavour. Ambri apples are known for their longer shelf life and are often used for both fresh consumption and desserts.
2. Chaubattia Anupam
Chaubattia Anupam is an early ripening, sweet, crisp, red-coloured, medium-sized apple. It is a hybrid apple variety, derived from a cross between Early Shanburry and Red Delicious. It is cultivated extensively in Uttarakhand.
3. Golden Apple
Photo: iStock
The Golden Apple, also known as Golden Delicious, is well-known for its yellowish-green hue and smooth texture. Though native to the United States, it is now also grown in Himachal Pradesh. The mildly sweet flavour and subtle aroma of this variety make it ideal for making applesauce, apple butter, and jams, and it can also be added for a sweet and sour kick.
4. Granny Smith
Photo: iStock
The tangy and tart green apple, often synonymous with Granny Smith apples globally, is also cultivated in Himachal Pradesh. Along with the classic tart kick, the variety grown in India has a subtle, natural sweetness due to the region’s unique climate. Known for their sharp flavour, Granny Smith apples are best used in salads, juices, and for baking.
5. Sunehari Apple
Sunehari is another variety of hybrid apple. It comes from the crossing of Golden Delicious and Ambri apples. This apple has a yellow peel with crimson streaks. The texture is crunchy, and the flesh is juicy with a sweet and tart taste.
6. Parlin’s Beauty
This apple variety is from Tamil Nadu, South India. The apple trees of this variety are best adapted to the warm winter conditions prevailing in the Kodaikanal hills. It is a late variety and bears fruit during August and September. These apples are medium to large in size, globe-shaped, with crisp flesh. Fully ripened apples of this type are an attractive yellow colour with a crimson blush.
7. Irish Peach
Photo: iStock
This small apple is pretty, with flecks of brownish-red over a pale yellow background. It is small in size, with tender, juicy flesh, and has a distinctive sweet-tart flavour. This apple is widely consumed raw and has a high peachy and fruity aroma.
8. Starking Delicious
This apple is sweet with a honey-like aroma and is predominantly grown in Himachal Pradesh. It is eaten fresh and is also used to make juices due to its high sugar content and firm flesh.
A fruit enthusiast with a love for apples can easily tell the differences between these seemingly similar apple varieties. Each of these offers something unique, whether it’s flavour, texture, or nutritional value, making them worth trying for any apple lover.
