Apple Variety Popularity Ranking! A Thorough Comparison Guide to Characteristics and How to Choose

The apple popularity ranking

The apples lined up on supermarket shelves now show many kinds throughout the year. But even looking at the names alone, many people are unsure which to choose. Here we organize the commonly chosen varieties in order, based on name recognition, in-store distribution volume, and staple status for gifts and home use. The ranking is only a general guide to popularity, and availability changes by producing region and season.

The lineup that keeps being chosen as staples

At the unshakeable center is "Fuji." Prone to honeying and with a good balance of sweetness and acidity, it is broadly supported from gifting to everyday use. Next come "Tsugaru," which appears early in autumn, and "Orin," which has enduring fans for its good aroma, as staples. These are high in production too and easy to find in stores. Ways to choose Fuji and its variations are also covered in detail inthe guide to Fuji apple characteristics and how to tell them apart.

New faces gaining presence

The Nagano-born "Shinano Sweet," "Shinano Gold," and "Akibae"—the so-called Shinshu Three Brothers—have distinct individuality in sweetness and bite and are gaining popularity. "Toki," with yellow skin and juicy, and "Jonagold," with clean sweetness, are also chosen for home use. Supported by confectionery lovers is the strongly acidic "Jonathan." Rather than being popular for eating fresh, it holds a certain position as a variety that shows its strength in processing.

The ranking is only a guide

Such rankings reflect distribution volume and name recognition, and do not decide superiority of taste. For those who like light types, Toki or Orin; for those seeking deep sweetness, Shinano Sweet or Fuji—the best answer changes by preference. First trying the staples one round and finding the type that suits your palate is the shortcut.

Characteristics and flavor differences by variety

Much of the stumbling in choosing apples comes from buying without knowing the flavor tendency of each variety. Grasping the main varieties along the four axes of sweetness, acidity, texture, and aroma makes in-store decisions much easier.

Seeing by the balance of sweetness and acidity

Fuji balances sweetness and acidity moderately, and when honeyed its richness increases. Shinano Sweet has gentle acidity and firmly felt sweetness, suiting those who dislike tartness too. Conversely, Jonathan and Jonagold have clear acidity, and their flavor tightens up when processed. Orin and Toki have little acidity, their strength being a clean sweetness.

The individuality of texture and aroma

If you prioritize texture, the crisp bite of Shinano Gold and Akibae is appealing. Tsugaru is somewhat soft and juicy, suiting eating up early. If choosing by aroma, Orin and Toki are the representatives, with many fans of the fragrance that rises the moment you peel them. Even among the same sweet apples, the impression changes greatly with the strength of aroma.

A comparison table of the main varieties

We've summarized the tendencies of representative varieties. Since actual taste varies with cultivation environment and harvest timing, please use it as a rough tendency.

The season and availability calendar

Apples peak from autumn into winter, but because harvest timing shifts by variety, you can enjoy apples of different flavors as if following the seasons. Knowing the season lets you choose the most delicious variety for that time.

Early to mid-season in autumn

Leading off the season is Tsugaru, from late August into September. Following it, from September into October, Akibae, Shinano Sweet, and Toki liven up the stores. Apples of this period are juicy, with a fresh flavor to enjoy. Early-season apples keep somewhat less well, so eating them soon after buying is recommended.

The lead roles from late autumn into winter

From late October, Shinano Gold, Orin, and Jonagold come together, and from November on, Fuji appears in earnest. Fuji has high storability, and stored properly, distributes until early spring. This is why many apples seen in stores from winter into spring are Fuji. For tips on home storage, seehow to store apples in winter.

The availability period widening by producing region

Even the same variety differs in harvest timing and flavor if the producing region differs. It is said that the higher the elevation and the greater the day-night temperature swing in a region, the better the coloring and firmness tend to be. On the individuality by producing region, seedifferences among apple-producing regions and their flavor characteristics.

Recommended varieties by application

Whether the same apple is eaten fresh or baked, used in salad or dried, its suitability differs. Choosing a variety to match the use changes your satisfaction with the result.

Suited to eating fresh and salads

For savoring as-is, Fuji and Shinano Sweet, with a good balance of sweetness and texture, and aroma-enjoyable Orin and Toki are easy-to-choose varieties. For salads, Shinano Gold and Akibae, which resist discoloring after cutting and keep their bite, are suitable. Sliced thin skin and all, the color contrast comes alive and the look stands out too.

Suited to confectionery

For apple pie and tart, Jonathan—whose sweetness stands out with heating and whose acidity becomes the backbone—is the staple. When it's hard to find, Jonagold and Shinano Gold serve as substitutes, resisting falling apart and suiting processing. For sauces and jams that make use of the collapse, choosing an acidic variety tightens the flavor.

Suited to drying

Because drying removes moisture and concentrates flavor, varieties with originally well-defined flavor are suitable. Deeply sweet Shinano Sweet and Fuji grow sweeter the more you chew, and acidic Jonathan keeps its flavor from blurring even dried, tightening the aftertaste. Using sweet and acidic types differently gives dried apple a richer expression. For concrete uses, seehow to eat and arrange dried appleand use it as a reference.

How to identify a delicious apple

Once you've chosen a variety, next you'll want to train your eye to pick a good one from among the same variety. Grasping the appearance and touch checkpoints makes you less likely to pick a dud in the store.

Seeing by color and gloss

For red varieties, ones with color all over and the variety's inherent hue coming out deeply are the guide to being ripe. Ones with natural gloss on the surface and firmness in the skin are fresh. You may feel stickiness, but this is often due to a natural component the fruit puts out, and is sometimes said to be a sign of ripeness.

Weight and the color of the bottom

For the same size, choose one that feels heavy in the hand. Weight is a guide to the amount of juice. One whose bottom hollow is tinged yellow is a guide to ripening having progressed, while a strongly green one may be somewhat young. One whose stem is firmly thick and not shriveled is also a material for judging freshness.

Judging honeying

The honeying popular in Fuji and others is hard to tell completely from the outside. Ones whose bottom looks faintly translucent, or that are heavy and well-colored, are said to have a high chance of being honeyed. If you want to enjoy it for sure, choosing products with a honeyed indication is reassuring.

The varieties best suited to making dried apple

When making dried apple at home too, the choice of variety greatly changes the result. Because moisture is removed and flavor concentrated, the original individuality appears as-is. Changing the variety by whether you want sweetness or a tight aftertaste keeps you from failing.

If you want to draw out sweetness

For deep sweetness, originally high-sugar Shinano Sweet and Fuji are suitable. Dried, the sweetness comes even further to the fore, growing rich the more you chew. Those who like a softer texture should slice thin and dry slowly at a lower temperature for a moist finish.

If you want to tighten the aftertaste

For those who find sweet-only monotonous, acidic Jonathan, Jonagold, and Shinano Gold are recommended. The acidity remains even dried, keeping the aftertaste clean and never tiring. Blending sweet and acidic varieties and drying gives one bag both sweetness and acidity, adding depth.

Choosing to enjoy them easily

When you want to taste the difference among varieties without the effort of drying them yourself, choosing dried apple made with care for producing region and variety is one way. Agriture handles dried apple finished to make the most of domestic apples' individuality, letting you enjoy a concentrated flavor different from fresh apples. Trying them side by side first brings your preferred type into view.

Tips for choosing a variety

The more varieties there are and the more you hesitate, the faster the decision becomes if you set one purpose before choosing. Making who you'll eat it with, what you'll use it for, and by when you'll finish it your axes leads you to the one that suits you.

Work backward from the eating scene

For eating a little at a time as a daily snack or after meals, Fuji—high in storability and stable in flavor—is easy to handle. For guests and gifts, Orin and Shinano Sweet, memorable in aroma and appearance, are suitable. Sweet types with little acidity for children, acidic varieties for cooking—dividing by scene keeps you from missing.

Consider the amount you can finish

Early-season Tsugaru and Toki are juicy and fresh but keep somewhat less well. If you want to enjoy them over a long time in a small household, choose highly storable varieties or buy only what you can finish, to avoid waste. When you get a lot, dividing into portions to eat fresh and portions for drying or confectionery lets you use them all up deliciously to the end.

First, taste them side by side

Flavor tendencies described in words sometimes leave a different impression when actually eaten. Gathering two or three varieties that intrigue you and tasting them side by side makes clear whether you're a sweetness-first person or want acidity too. Once you know your preferred type, choosing from the next season on becomes far easier.

Summary: choose by preference and use, and you won't fail

There are many apple varieties, but grasping the tendencies along the axes of sweetness, acidity, texture, and aroma greatly reduces the hesitation in choosing. The popularity ranking is only a guide to distribution volume and name recognition, and what ultimately matters is your own preference and the purpose of use. Using sweet types like Fuji and Shinano Sweet and acidic types like Jonathan and Jonagold differently across uses—fresh, confectionery, drying—is the shortcut to enjoying them deliciously. First taste a few staples side by side and find the one that suits your palate. Dried apple, savored dried, is also a chance to rediscover a variety's individuality.

Honey-cored Shinshu apple, domestic dried apple

Sugar-free, a crunchy new texture—dried fruit of honey-cored "leaf-unremoved Shinshu apple"

• Made with honey-cored "leaf-unremoved Shinshu apple"
• Sugar-free, dense natural sweetness
• Available in two forms, stick and dice

See dried apple

Recommended reading

• What are the characteristics of Fuji apples?
• Differences among apple-producing regions | Comparing Aomori, Nagano, and Yamagata
• 10 arrangements for eating dried apple
• How to Store Apples in Winter: 10 Tips to Make Them Last