Welcome Autumn!

Have you ever wonder if you really truly know what an apple tastes like?  Do you have a pure taste memory stored in you consciousness, or do you just have a kind of general construct of what you think an apple should taste like, but you've never had the opportunity to slow down and figure out what it really does taste like? 

I've got a philosophy that the purest flavors are the most enticing and interesting...and there are so many varieties of apples!  Which ones to choose at the grocery store?  Is there really a difference between a Fuji and a Granny Smith?  Is "apple" actually a category for a seemingly infinite variety of tart, sweet, crisp, mellow, and spicy flavors?

This past weekend, we decided to host an apple tasting party to usher in the Autumn and to find out some answers to these questions.  By slowing down and savoring individual bites of 8 different apple varieties, we were finally able to pick our own personal favorites, and enjoy the shocking variety of flavors and textures.

We tasted:

• Fuji
• Granny Smith
• Macintosh
• Gingergold
• Red Delicious
• Golden Delicious
• Honeycrisp
• Gala

For me, the top three were Fuji (texture), Honeycrisp (tartness), and Gingergold (mellowness).  And just think, these are only a few of the billions of apple varieties out there!  Amazing, no?!