19 apples in a row: from fully sweet to refreshingly sour
Can’t see the forest for the apple trees anymore? Neither can we, which is why we’ve lined up the best-known apples from the Netherlands for you. What do they taste like, what do they look like, and can you use them in apple pie, for example? All your apple-related questions will soon be answered.
Also handy: from now on, you’ll know exactly which apple to pick.
4 refreshingly sweet apples
Refreshingly sweet is a very popular category among apples. These fruits have the perfect balance of qualities people like to see in an apple: crisp, juicy, fresh, mildly sweet and with a satisfying bite.
1. KANZI
My personal favorite! The KANZI apple scores very highly on all the qualities I just mentioned. No apple beats KANZI when it comes to crispness, either. You can hear that delicious crunch when you take a bite. This is also the apple with the freshest flavor. Works perfectly in salads and as a snack.
2. Elstar
A truly Dutch apple and perhaps the most popular apple in the country. They’re often sold in large plastic bags because we love taking them home in bulk. The apple is fresh, small and has a strong aftertaste. It also works well in apple pie or applesauce. For example, make oatmeal apple pie with it.
3. Jonagold
The Jonagold apple comes from America and made its way to Europe in the 1960s. In terms of flavor, it’s fairly mild, but you can taste a good balance between fresh and sweet. It’s a delicious apple to use in desserts or salads.
4. Junami
Junami is a cross between Jonagold and Fuji. It’s a highly aromatic apple; less sour than Jonagold, but comparable in sweetness to Fuji. A real thirst-quencher.
3 mildly sweet apples
Full of sweetness in flavor, but softer in texture; that’s how mildly sweet apples differ from fully sweet varieties. They’re all red, although Fuji apples sometimes also show a hint of green.
1. Joly Red
If Snow White had really existed these days, she would have eaten the Joly Red apple in her own fairy tale. This apple is—obviously without deadly poison—stunningly ruby red. A truly rosy little apple! It’s sweet and crisp. An added bonus: the apple keeps well in your fruit bowl for a long time, thanks to its firm skin.
2. Gala
Gala apples have a mild flavor. They’re perfect for eating out of hand because they fit comfortably in your hand and aren’t overly juicy. No mess, then. Gala apples are less suitable for baking, because they become quite soft.
3. Fuji
The freshest apple in the mildly sweet category. You can barely taste any acidity in it. Fuji is also a fairly large, firm apple—one that retains its quality for a long time. It also works well in pies. Because it’s so sweet, you can add less sugar to your pie. Win-win!
2 fully sweet apples
Sweet tooths, this is probably your favorite category. Deliciously sweet, deep red and mildly aromatic: those are the fully sweet apples in the bowl.
1. Pink Lady
We all know this one too, because you can buy it in virtually every supermarket. Pink Lady is fully sweet, but also fresh. It has a firm texture and is partly for that reason a favorite among apple eaters.
2. Tessa
Tessas, pay attention: an apple has been named after you! Fully sweet and with a firm bite—perhaps you’ll recognize yourself in it. Wink. Tessa® is a fairly new apple variety from the Netherlands. An added bonus: the apple is grown sustainably and packaged sustainably.
3. Royal Gala
A deliciously sweet, soft apple with a pleasant texture. You can easily eat it out of hand, but it’s less suitable for baking. Too much juice drips out, leaving you with wet dough.
4 fruity-sweet apples
Fruity-sweet apples are deliciously aromatic and packed with flavor. In general, they’re all crisp and juicy, although they can vary in mildness.
1. Sprank
Sprank is FavorFlav’s Sharon’s favorite apple. According to her, it’s even the best apple you can buy at the supermarket. And honestly, she has a pretty good point. Juicy, firm, crisp, sweet and fresh; Sprank ticks all the boxes.
2. Bloss
Bloss apples are strongly aromatic and have a unique texture. They taste fresh, sweet and crisp. The apple is grown in the Netherlands. And yes, it really does have a beautiful red blush!
3. Morgana
Morgana: it sounds almost tropical. That’s how this little apple tastes, too. Juicy, crisp and deep red—it simply grabs your attention. We wouldn’t be surprised if this apple soon appeared in every supermarket.
4. Jazz
Get Jazzy! Anyone who loves crisp, firm and juicy apples will sing when they taste the Jazz apple. A delicious little apple to take to work. Its flavor is somewhat less pronounced than that of other fruity, sweet apples.
2 mildly sour apples
Mildly sour apples have a gentle, balanced flavor. Perfect if you’re not fond of pronounced flavors in your apple. They’re generally somewhat more yellow in color.
1. Golden Delicious
The Golden Delicious apple was discovered by chance in America. It has never become entirely clear what kind of cross this variety is. Golden Delicious has a very mild acidity. When fully ripe, you can detect honey-like notes. It’s often used to make applesauce, for example.
2. Yello
Yello apples are fresher, crisper and juicier than Golden Delicious apples. They stand out especially because of their golden-yellow color. Yello is a branded apple, hence the registered trademark (®). In any case, it’s a newcomer to the apple class. It only came onto the market in 2022. It’s an apple with a luxurious appearance and is therefore hugely popular.
3 refreshingly sour apples
These are the bright green apples you can spot from a distance on the shelf. They’re apples that make you pull a face for a moment with the first bite: sour! Fortunately, after that first bite it turns into a delicious, refreshing tang. In other words, briefly bite through that sour apple. They’re also wonderfully crisp and juicy—exactly how many people like them.
1. Granny Smith
The most popular refreshingly sour apple, available in virtually every supermarket. It’s also the sourest in the refreshingly sour category. Granny Smith apples work well in fresh salads. Fun fact: the apple was once discovered by accident by an Australian woman, Maria Ann Smith. The apple was named after her.
2. Greenstar
Where Granny Smith is more on the sour side, Greenstar is fresher. You can even taste a hint of sweetness, with something floral for discerning palates. What’s great about this little apple is that it doesn’t discolor quickly. That makes it perfect for salads.
3. Goudreinette
The apple-pie apple! Goudreinettes are generally more sweet-and-sour than refreshingly sour, but that exact quality makes them so suitable for baking. For example, use it for an apple pie with speculoos.
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