What I always loved the most about apples was the incredible range of flavors that were totally different from any I ever tasted. A huge loss for Americas. The Red Delicious killed that as the red and gold became the standard. The Japanese changed that. Those of Washington and Jefferson's time enjoyed a huge range of delicious flavors. Shipping changed that and the Black Ben Davis became the standard because it could ship, but it tasted like sawdust. Then came the standards that improved shipping methods reintroduced like the Macintosh. When folks became bored with Delicious the Japanese first experimented with crosses and flavor was reintroduced.
From the sixties on, the ever better methods of shipping brought back American standards as they discovered new ones from abroad. It was a trip to England that opened my eyes. Then I met growers around the world and traveled to places like France, Belgium, and Long Ashton. I reveled in English hard cider, scrumpy and cidre. Then I mourned when Long Ashton lost their fund and watched in horror as their trees were grubbed up.
Next, I met folks all over the U.S. who were dedicated to hunting for and discovered the long lost American classics. The people at Geneva provided me with scion wood for years and NAFEX introduced me to others with a similar passion. I do hope new and younger people will also share the pursuit in the years to come.
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