Written by Jack Rasmussen, American Author and Actor
Jack Rasmussen is a leader in the worlds of performance science, the food industry, religion, education, and entertainment. Growing up in Silicon Valley and studying Business, Cinema, and Journalism at the University of Southern California has allowed him to explore creative pathways to raise people's vibration and meta-awareness within their respective fields.
Forget about foods other than fruit and think about the most dynamic fruit in history, fit for a decadent dessert, balanced breakfast, or simple snack. From pies to turnovers to cobblers to sauce, it is hard to deny the versatility of the apple. An apple is sweet, tangy, sour, mushy, gooey, and satisfyingly crunchy. What is even more intriguing is the variety of apple colors.
The underrated market of local farmers
I did not fully understand the scope and depth of apple coloring until I attended the farmers market as a youngster in my hometown of Los Gatos at Town Park Plaza on Main Street and North Santa Cruz Avenue. This farmers market still takes place and now offers a wider variety of food trucks, pastries, flowers, and live music, thanks to the California Farmers’ Markets Association, which has managed award-winning farmers markets in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years, as stated on its website.
However, I was reminded of apple coloring at the bustling Midtown Farmers Market in MARRS, which stands for Midtown Art Retail Restaurant Scene, in Sacramento. This market has about five times the number of vendors, more than 200, compared to my hometown farmers market. Instead of being held on Sundays, this market takes place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., giving you the option to rest or worship on the day of the Sun.
A hidden gem of California, the Midtown Farmers Market, managed by the Midtown Association, was ranked the best in California and third in the United States by the American Farmland Trust’s Farmers Market Celebration. This is quite the feat, considering California has the fifth-largest economy in the world. Furthermore, according to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, California is the sole producer of many specialty crops, such as almonds, artichokes, figs, and walnuts.
On many delicate, brisk Saturday winter mornings in Sacramento, the capital of California, which features Old Town, Downtown, and Midtown, I take in the beloved farmers market, which runs along 20th Street between J Street and L Street. Each time, I cannot help but notice the colors of the produce and, specifically, the fruit.
I always stop at the Sweet Tree Farms booth after walking past stands and trucks with flowers, fresh seafood, honey, greens, mushrooms, and other exotic international delights. I become lost in another vibrant and loud dimension. Peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, sweet limes, oranges including Cara Cara, Blood, Golden Nugget Mandarin, and Paige Mandarin, melons, strawberries, and apples including Granny Smith and Pink Lady.
One Saturday, I bought three blood oranges and three Granny Smiths from Ismael at Sweet Tree Farms. I enjoyed both plain, with peanut butter, and in oatmeal. What struck me was that I had been eating apples and fruit my whole life but had never truly appreciated the numerous shades of color that preview the flavor and texture. Then, I started reminiscing about my favorite apple-flavored drinks and dishes, and along came the hunger for breakfast and brunch.
Nine must-try apples
For the sake of brevity, I will touch on nine apple varieties in no particular order, with the help of the USApple Association.
First, the Pink Lady or Cripps Pink, a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams, is known for its light red or rose-colored exterior. Pink Ladies are juicy, sweet, and tart, rich in fiber, great for gut and heart health, and the go-to choice for pies. There might have been some Pink Lady apple incorporated into an apple-onion compote for a grilled pork chop dish at an upscale restaurant called Parkside in Los Gatos.
Next is the Empire apple, a 1966 cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh. It comes from New York and has crispy white flesh and a sweet-tart flavor. Perhaps you could sauté or roast with these firm, dark red, ovate apples.
Fuji is my favorite because of its name and Japanese heritage, as well as its tender hardiness, sweetness, and bi-colored nature, striped yellow and red. Fujis were developed in Japan in the 1930s, named after Mount Fuji, and introduced to America in the 1980s. They are a cross between Ralls Janet and Red Delicious. I often enjoy Fuji apples in my favorite appetizer, roasted beets, at Mason Bar and Kitchen in Arroyo Grande. I have also had them in the chopped kale salad by Chef Mario Alberto at Olivia in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, which features Fuji apple, Napa cabbage, dukkah, and sesame coconut dressing.
Gala apples, a cross between Kidd’s Orange Red and Golden Delicious, originated in New Zealand. The name honors Queen Elizabeth II, who named the apple her favorite while visiting New Zealand. Introduced to the United States in the 1970s, Galas are now one of the most popular apples, known for their crispness, juiciness, and sweetness, making them perfect for snacking. I bought a bag of creamy red and yellow-striped organic Gala apples, elegantly marketed by FirstFruits Marketing, LLC, based in Yakima. They were delicious on a warm summer afternoon in Avila Beach.
The Golden Delicious is the lightest of the bunch. Its buttery, mild flavor makes it perfect for tarts or turnovers. Its light-yellow exterior harmonizes beautifully with its honeysuckle flavor.
The Granny Smith apple was discovered in Australia in 1868 by Anne "Granny" Smith of Ryde, New South Wales. Its ancestor might have been a French crabapple. Grannies are known for their green skin and very tart flavor, perfect for a warm Dutch apple pie. I was sitting at McCarren Park in Brooklyn on April 16, 2024, sipping on a Bold Rock Hard Cider, a crisp and refreshing Granny Smith blend. A sunset sip for the ages.
One of my favorite restaurants on Melrose in Los Angeles was called Spartina. I was great friends with Chef Kalt, and he let me taste the crispy pork belly, which featured Granny Smith apple, red onion, and shaved fennel salad. The Five Farms Market salad at Mason Bar and Kitchen includes matchstick Granny Smith apple with mixed greens, shaved fennel, walnut praline, Manchego cheese, and caramelized shallot vinaigrette. Refreshing madness.
The Honeycrisp is the crispiest of them all. Slowly becoming a beloved national treat, the blotchy red and yellow Honeycrisp is light yet potent. It is a cross between Keepsake and an unreleased Minnesota line called MN 1627, created at the University of Minnesota.
Of course, we cannot forget the old-fashioned McIntosh, discovered by John McIntosh in 1811. Its deep red, almost maroon, finish and tangy, tart white flesh make it ideal for apple butter, apple sauce, or a snack with peanut butter.
Last but certainly not least is the classic Red Delicious, the most widely recognized apple variety in the United States. I had these apples during elementary, middle, and high school lunches. The apple originated in Iowa in the 1870s, where my grandfather, "Pops," was born. He was born in Atlantic, Iowa, on August 23, 1929.
The color of this beautiful and compact apple is midnight red, though it can sometimes be striped red. Western Red Delicious apples are said to have "feet" because of their elongated shape, while Eastern Red Delicious apples are more rounded.
Old Juan’s Cantina, my favorite Mexican restaurant on the Central Coast, had a cocktail special on Halloween when I was there. The Apple Cider Margarita featured 100 percent agave blanco tequila, apple cider, simple syrup, and lime juice, served on the rocks with a rim of cinnamon, salt, and sugar. It was garnished with a Red Delicious apple slice, a cinnamon stick, and star anise.
The versatility of these nine apples is astonishing. According to Alexandra Domrongchai of Food & Wine, as of 2024, there are over 7,500 varieties of apples, so we are merely scratching the surface. To reach the core, we would have to spend a lifetime biting into colorful apples worldwide. That is a lot of trees and tones. Cheers to more apple adventures.
Jack Rasmussen, American Author and Actor
Jack Rasmussen is a leader in the worlds of performance science, the food industry, religion, education, and entertainment. Growing up in Silicon Valley and studying Business, Cinema, and Journalism at the University of Southern California has allowed him to explore creative pathways to raise people's vibration and meta-awareness within their respective fields. He is the award-winning author of Fine Dining: The Secrets Behind the Restaurant Industry (2022) and Yin Yang: The Elusive Symbol That Explains the World (2023). He has worked with the National Science Foundation, California food banks, and international directors to help alleviate food waste and teach cultural literacy, among other expressions of his storytelling interests. He wants to continue to help serve and inspire global citizens to explore the unexplored and become more cognizant of and comfortable with their authentic presence through sharing his own. His artistic aim stays true: spread thought-provoking peanut butter and connective jelly.
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