9 Popular Varieties of Apples and What the Differences Between Them Are

There are more than 7,500 known cultivated apple varieties in the world. Some have gained popularity all over the world, and others can be tasted only in a few regions of the planet.

5-Minute Crafts made a compilation of the 9 types of apples that can be seen on the shelves of grocery stores and supermarkets most often.

1. Granny Smith

These popular green apples are of Australian origin. According to legend, Maria Ann Smith found an apple tree sapling near her home in 1868. Soon, apples of a light green color that turned out to be ideal for both eating and cooking appeared on it.

Granny Smith apples were first grown for sale in 1895, and today, they’re one of the most widespread apple varieties in the world. It is easy to recognize them with their green peel with a slight pink blush as well as bright white flesh, and a firm texture.

What they taste like: crisp, sourish, and with a strong tartness that’s reminiscent of lemons.

How to use them in dishes: They can be added to light salads and sauces. Also, these apples in their raw form go well with spicy cheeses, which is why they can be served on the table as a snack.

2. Golden Delicious

Golden Delicious is an apple variety that appeared by natural breeding between Grimes Golden and Golden Reinette. The original tree was discovered in the USA at the end of the nineteenth century.

The apples of this type are normally very large, with white flesh and a firm texture. The peel has a bright yellow-green color, which is why they got the name “golden.”

What they taste like: sweet, juicy, crispy.

How to use them in dishes: add them to salads, baked goods, and sauces, bake them in the oven, or make cold drinks with them.

3. Idared

Idared is the type of apple that was first cultivated in the USA by crossing the Jonathan and Wagener breeds. The fruit is usually medium in size with a bright red hue, which turns green in some areas. The flesh is dense, crispy, aromatic, and keeps its shape well during cooking.

What they taste like: sweet, juicy, and slightly tart.

How to use them in dishes: Add them to salads and pies. Also, Idared apples can be served with blue cheese as a snack.

4. Fuji

Fuji is the Japanese variety of apple that was cultivated by the cross-pollination of the Red Delicious and Virginia Ralls Janet varieties in the late 1930s. It’s believed that their name has been derived from the town of Fujisaki. There, in the Tohoku Research Station, Fuji apples were first cultivated.

Fuji apples are distinguished by red-yellow skin and a creamy-white pulp. Thanks to their long shelf life, they are one of the most commonly grown apple varieties around the world.

What they taste like: sweet, juicy, and with low acidity.

How to use them in dishes: Fuji apples are perfect for light salads, and they can also be added to pies, sauces, and cool drinks.

5. Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp is an American variety of red-yellow apples. Unlike many other varieties, it was not bred for ease of storage, transportation, or cultivation, but solely because of the fresh sweet and sour taste and juicy pulp of the fruit.

What they taste like: sweet, moderately tart, and balanced.

How to use them in dishes: Add them to various salads or serve them as snacks. It’s better to not use them in baking because the juicy pulp of these apples can lose its structure due to high temperatures.

6. Gala

Gala is a type of apple from New Zealand that was developed by crossing Kidd’s Orange and Golden Delicious apples. Apples have a deep red-yellow color and firm crunchy flesh with a yellowish tinge and floral aroma.

What they taste like: sweet, soft, and fresh.

How to use them in dishes: Add them to light salads or for cooking sauces.

7. Cripps Pink

Cripps Pink is an Australian variety of apples that were developed by John Cripps in the late twentieth century. It was in his honor that the apples got their name. A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams was used for breeding them. Perhaps it’s because of the latter that the commercial variety of these apples were given the name “Pink Lady.”

Cripps Pink apples have a firm structure and a bright red color with a pink tinge. The color of the pulp varies between white, creamy, and a pale yellow.

What they taste like: sweet and tart.

How to use them in dishes: Add them to salads, sauces, and use them in pies.

8. Red Delicious

Red Delicious is one of the most widespread apple varieties in the world. Their fruits are bright, red, and have a conical shape that sometimes resembles a heart. The skin of these apples is normally very tough, but their flesh is juicy and crispy.

What they taste like: soft and sweet, slightly resembling overripe melons.

How to use them in dishes: They can be added to salads and served as a snack.

9. Mutsu

Mutsu apple is a cross between the 2 different apple cultivars first grown in Japan. It is a medium to large green apple with juicy flesh. Their fruits can be round, conical, or oblong, and have unequal sides.

What they taste like: sweet and sharp.

How to use them in dishes: This apple is suitable for eating on its own, juicing, drying, or cooking, as it maintains its shape well when cooked.