Apple breeding: Could flavor be the Next Big Thing?

I revere the old heritage apples. I love the idea of apple-as-time machine. Just bite to experience the flavors that were in vogue 200 years ago.

But lately I have also been hopeful about a trend in the newer apple breeds: taste.

Now comes the New York Times with a bushel of new “full flavored” apples, such as Opal, Junami, and Kanzi, all from Europe.

Rockit’s sweet clove flavor is distinctive.

I could also nominate Rockit and Koru from new Zealand, and even Sweetango from Minnesota.

The Times discusses the economics of modern apple breeding and mentions a few varieties I haven’t sampled yet.

Breeders nailed the hard sweet crisp thing years ago, to the point where marketers are repeating themselves and foisting old mainstays on the pubic as new.

If new apple varieties are going to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, it will have to be on some other basis.

Dare we root for taste?