Rambo vs Johnny Appleseed smackdown!

Rambo (L) and Johnny Appleseed. ¶ 

On the left, the apple that inspired the name of a movie character (Rambo; true story). ¶ 

On the right, the apple named for Johnny Appleseed (a real person despite his larger-than-life folkloric aura). ¶ 

Today's comparison responds to the notion that these are in fact the same apple. It is an inquiry. Wikipedia says, of the Johnny Appleseed apple,

Some marketers claim that it is a Rambo; some even make the claim that the Rambo was "Johnny Appleseed's favorite variety."

The latter claim is unlikely, but let's taste test the former.

Look first

Although my Rambo, at left, is the larger and lumpier, both of those physical qualities could just be due to the vagaries of apple life. The same might be true of Johnny's splash of stem-well russet, which is absent from Rambo.

The blush is similar on both, but Rambo's is streakier and has a slightly shimmery, metallic quality that Johnny's lacks.

Perhaps more tellingly, Rambo's light green lenticel dots are much smaller than Johnny's tan ones. Rambo has an open calyx while Johnny's is closed.

Rambo

I suppose one could make a case that these are the same, but to me this evidence already rules that out.

Still, let's taste these old varieties.

I'm making this comparison at the start of October, which is awfully late for Rambo (sometimes called "Summer Rambo").

Nonetheless, I had a very good one of these in mid September of last year: I think they come in a bit later this far north.

Open mind, open wide

Johnny is crisp and off-white, with dense flesh that is dryer than many apples. Flavors include lychee and a hint of vanilla, stone fruit, and grain. There's a bitter note that enters later in the chew, probably from the peel.

These flavors track what I found in my recent Johnny Appleseed review.

Also, Johnny seems to turn brown at the edges of each bite right on contact with the air.

Johnny

My Rambo, unfortunately, proves not a very good or representative sample. It is a bit mealy, so texture is not going to tell us much about the normal qualities of this apple.

Still, by biting in to better parts of the apple I can say that Rambo is juicer and less chewy that Johnny.

As for flavors, Rambo's are milder, though at this point they are so muddled I can't identify them, even from a bite around the base (often the last to go stale).

I do get a hit of the "minty tarragon" note I found in Rambo last year. There is no bitterness in the peel or anywhere.

Rambo's oxidation—discoloration in contact with the air—is both slower and more subtle, presenting as a darker yellow rather than a rich brown.

Results of inquiry

At the risk of stating the obvious: These are not the same apple.

I add that Rambo at peak (which mine is not) is by far the better of the two, for eating at least.

Reference

• Rambo (Summer Rambo, Rambour Franc)
• Johnny Appleseed