Not all, dare I say “most” apples in Japan look like that. But those types are now the desired type because most people there seem to think apples should only be sweet.
As for size, I lived for approximately 20 years mostly in Osaka, Tokyo, Tokushima and Shizuoka…areas where apples are not grown. Smaller apples tend to be found in areas closer to where they are grown in Japan and aren’t readily available in other areas. But I’d sometimes find bags of smaller apples and if they were in season and didn’t appear mealy (IMHO, there’s no worse fruit than a mealy apple!), I’d buy a bag.
My dining companion here in Ontario has stopped eating raw apples, after decades of buying them in 10 lb bags, because they are not as sweet as he likes, and they are crunchier than he likes.
What changed was that our local orchard in southwestern Ontario has updated their storage system, so apples like Macs and Russets, stay tart and crunchy longer, into the spring.
People these days prefer crunchy crispy juicy raw apples. It turns out, my DC preferred what I would consider slightly mealy , too sweet for me Macs, Russets, Golden Delicious and Mutsus.
We tried letting the current Russets ripen in the cold room. t They rotted, rather than aging gently, the way they once did.
So, now we go through around 2 lbs of apples a month (mostly Honeycrisp or SweetTango, mostly for Waldorf or other salads), rather than 30 lbs of apples a month (for snacks), which had been our pattern for 40 years!
Just had their clam chowder. It didn’t taste the same as I remembered. It wasn’t terrible but I doubt I’ll buy it again. I thought it was on the thin side with too many chewy clam pieces.
Previous purchases of that clam chowder were from Costco. Recent one was found in a supermarket. I wonder if there is any difference between the two.
Another dressing from my newly discovered favorite brand, and since I love everything pistachio I practically had to grab it. I’m not sure how I’ll use it yet — it’s a dressing/marinade that claims to be ‘medium’ spicy, indicated by the two chilis on the label. I have my doubts that we’ll find it spicy at all
Verdict: juicy, well seasoned (read high sodium per serving) and bit peppery (which is fine), not the crispness of regular chicken nuggets or tenders - by that I mean not fabulous dipping nuggets. Best eaten as an entree with some kind of pan sauce or topping. I will attempt some sort of culinary dishonesty with what’s left of the bag.
I bought the spicy version of these Just Bare tenders recently and liked them quite a bit. You’re right that they don’t get as crispy in the oven as some other brands, but I like the flavor and spice level of the coating. Would repeat.
I tried Matty Matheson’s cracked pepper mac and cheese ($4.50 at Sanagan’s Meat Locker). It’s not to my taste. I prefer Kraft, Annie’s, President’s Choice and Irresistibles. Would not buy again.
I found some SweetTangos the other day in Sprouts supermarket, but they appeared to me as being mealy because the skin not taut and they had no heft…so I didn’t buy one.
But I found some today in Smith’s supermarket and bought one. I liked it VERY much, but I still prefer Cosmic Crisps. I would say it’s my 2nd favorite apple though and I sincerely appreciate you recommending it!
Though I didn’t buy a SweetTango at Sprouts, I did buy a variety of apple called “Empire”. It was developed in 1945 in, of course, New York. The original seed was apparently a cross between the McIntosh and Red Delicious varieties. I enjoyed it and might buy one again if I couldn’t find a Cosmic Crisp, SweetTango, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
~52 USD
