Shizuka

My two Shizuka apples are large and spring green, slightly oblate spheres decorated with crackles of tan russet and darker green lenticels that have small light centers.

One of my samples, shown, has a faint pink-orange blush in a region of peel that is almost yellow. (It also has some tiny bruises.)

Unbroken, these fruits have a perfumed floral aroma with a hint of cinnamon. Shizuka has a slender stem and a closed calyx. The skin has a satin sheen and a waxy feel.

The Chew

Biting in, the apple has good crunch that is breaking crisp but also a little tender. Its juicy flesh is medium-coarse-grained and light yellow. 

Shizuka's flavors are very light and attenuated, in the manner of Mutsu. Its tasting notes are generically floral and sweet, with just a bit of liveliness that isn't quite vinous.

Various sources say that Shizuka, a Japanese variety, is a Golden Delicious x Indio cross. Mutsu has the same parents.

I like better-balanced Mutsu more, but the family resemblence is obvious.

Note: A few readers report that although they are allergic to apples (what a shame!), they can happily eat Mutsu without ill consequence.

I wonder if Shizuka shares that trait with its sibling.