Belle de Boskoop was introduced in the 1850s in the Netherlands, and
is still popular on the Continent. It is a large, lumpy, dull red apple,
often with extensive russeting. There is also a
modern "sport" with a darker red colouring but otherwise quite similar.
Belle de Boskoop is essentially a dual-purpose apple, suitable for
both dessert and culinary uses. It works equally well in a savoury
salad, or can be used sliced in continental-style apple pies and
flans. Unlike the English Bramley cooking apple, Belle de Boskoop
keeps its shape when cooked.
Eaten fresh, Belle de Boskoop is quite a sharp apple. This and its
large size makes it unsuitable as a snack apple, but it can be nice
cut into slices to share after a meal. The white-green flesh is dense with
a very firm texture.
In summary, a versatile and unusual apple variety.