Delicious (Red Delicious) apple
Malus domestica
A very popular American apple, often known as Red Delicious because of its bright red colour.
Parentage:
Origin:
Introduced:
Season:
Apple cultivar ID: 113300
Delicious is one of the most famous American apples, and one of the most widely grown apple varieties. Although the name is similar, Delicious (often known as Red Delicious) and Golden Delicious are entirely different varieties. There are a lot of similarities though: both varieties were discovered in the USA at the end of the 19th century, both need warm climates, and both are basically sweet apples.
Red Delicious is a medium-sized apple, with a tall conical shape. The dark and intense crimson colour makes it the quintessential red apple, and it is has a strong shelf appeal. A number of improved "sports" have been developed, of which the most well-known is probably Starking.
Unfortunately the visual appeal is not quite matched by the flavour. Red Delicious has a strong sweet flavour, perhaps most reminscent of slightly over-ripe melon. It seems like it should be crisp and crunchy, but it is generally too soft. Golden Delicious, in comparison, is much crisper but has a blander sweet flavour.
Flavour is of course subjective and to some extent it is a matter of what you grow up with. Red Delicious seems to suit North American tastes better than European tastes, but this is perhaps simply a matter of familiarity.
Red Delicious, like Golden Delicious, is starting to decline in popularity. According to the "Washington Post", Red Delicious' share of the harvest in Washington State, one of the USA's key apple-growing regions, has fallen from 3/4qtrs to just over 1/3rd of production in the 20 years to 2003. The lack of flavour is cited as one of the factors, and in Europe (where flavour has perhaps been relatively more important to consumers), Red Delicious has never been that successful. However it has been extensively used in breeding programmes, and its most interesting modern offspring is probably Fuji. It is also a parent of Kidd's Orange Red and Empire, both of which have inherited some of the melon flavour. It may also be a parent of Cameo.
Relationships to other apple varieties
Offspring of this variety
- Cameo - Cameo is thought to be a seedling of Red Delicious.
- Fuji
- Jupiter - The sport of Delicious called Starking is the parent of Jupiter
- Kidd's Orange Red
- Sonya
- Starkrimson
Where to buy apple trees
No tree suppliers listed for this variety.
Where to buy fruit and related products
No fruit suppliers listed for this variety.
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