Apples are wonderful things. They represent one of the very few items that can be represented in a dizzying variety without causing me to lament the way American culture piles choice upon choice without regard to logic or value.

Because with apples, how can you lose? Except for eating Granny Smiths raw, but other than that.

Just a moment ago I was eating a Gala apple, and found that one side of the apple was noticeably sweeter and softer than the other. It reminded me of a Red Delicious, though it's been so long since I've eaten one of those I could be a bit wrong.

This unusual specimen got me wondering about it's lineage, so off to Wikipedia I went, and Behold! The Gala apple is a cross between Golden Delicious and a Kidd's Orange Red. That, of course, is hardly an acceptable stopping place, so on I went. The Golden Delicious is not related to the Red Delicious, but I've always thought they had a similar taste profile. But onward we shall go, to the heretofore unknown Kidd's Orange Red, which comes to us from the fertile mind of one J.H. Kidd of New Zealand. He took the Cox's Orange Pippin and crossed it with - drumroll, if you will - the Red Delicious. Feel free to follow the links for those apples, the whole thing is fascinating.

Red Delicious, while quite bland by itself, seems to be a good base upon which an apple breeder can build. It certainly shows up a lot, and seems to be the source of necessary sweetness that allows us to enjoy the stronger, sharper flavors of other apples. Lately I've grown quite fond of the Cameo and get it when I can, following a few years of Fuji devotion.

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