Braeburn, Bramley, Clivia, Dabinett, Gala, Jonagold and Reinette. No, not an excerpt from the class list at your local private school, but a selection of the names of the over 7,500 different cultivars of apples. Each of these cultivars has its distinct flavour and character — and a bit of biochemistry can help us understand why.
Apple festivals are a regular autumn occurrence across England, and it was at one last weekend that I got thinking about the chemical variety in different apple cultivars. I confess to not being a huge apple fan unless they’re juiced, baked in a pie, or in the form of cider. Consequently, I’m aware that the delights of all of these varying cultivars are mostly lost on me. However, I was still curious as to what molecular differences underlie the contrast between sweet and tart apples, and whether there are straightforward chemical explanations for the varied flavours of differently named apples.
