Mutsu vs. Shizuka smackdown

These Japanese apples have the same parents. How far does the family resemblance go?

On the left is Mutsu, big and green, and a little ribbed and blocky.

Mutsu (also known as Crispin) runs bigger than this, on average. I picked a "small" sample (still quite large!) knowing I'd be eating it with Shizuka.

Shizuka at right is smaller (though still large), tapered, and a paler, yellower green. It sports patches of a brown russet, and is not ribbed.

Shizuka has a faint orange-red blush, and a region of peel that was nearly yellow:

Both are a little bit oblate, but Mutsu is huskier.

Taste and texture

Mutsu has coarse-grained juicy flesh that is just slightly yellow. Its crunch is decent, though not spectacular, with a little give. It bears delicate and attenuated flavors that might be muted floral, muted spice, and muted vanilla.

Despite all this tentativeness, Mutsu has a delicately astringent finish that is very grateful to the throat.

Shizuka is similar but with a crisper crunch. Its flesh is slightly less-coarse and a shade more yellow.

Compared to Mutsu it is a bit fruiter, with faint corn syrup and cream soda and less flowers and spice.

Shifting back and forth highlights greater acidity in Mutsu, and faint pear notes and even a little nuttiness in Shikuza. All within a very narrow range.

The way that Mutsu brings these subtle qualities out in Shikuza suggests that this variety would be better and more interesting if it had just a little more tart acidity of its own.

So if you have a Shikuza, it might be worth pairing it with a more-tart variety to explore that side of it.

Mutsu does not fare so well following Shikuza in the mouth, but that might just be a casualty of the pairing that would not be obvious on its own.

Other considerations

Also, later in the season, or perhaps after storage, Mutsu can mellow and yellow, with a pretty orange blush.

I reviewed a late-season Mutsu in 2014.

That midwinter Mutsu was "nearly a different apple," I found.

For this reason, I decline to pronounce either variety the winner of this little contest. But between the two samples I have today, when eaten together, I prefer the Shikuza.

Finally, some of my readers report that they are, sadly, allergic to apples, but can enjoy Mutsu without ill effects. If true, that alone would make Mutsu a significant apple.

Shikuza, like Mutsu, is a Golden Delicious x Indio cross, and very like its sibling. 

I would be interested to know if Shikuza also shares this hypoallergenic quality with Mutsu.

Note: I hope it is clear by my use of words like "if" in the above paragraphs that I am making no medical or dietary claims about these apples!

More

• Mutsu
• Shikuza
• Late-season Mutsu