1Gala
Lloret//Getty Images Est. 1930s
Story: Available year-round, this well-known type of apple is a cross between Kidd’s Orange Red and Golden Delicious. It’s the ultimate lunch box staple, with a pear-like quality, but can also be cooked down into a compote.
Taste: Sweet and easy eating.
2Lady
picturegarden//Getty Images Est. 1628
Story: One of the oldest varieties, Ladies are tiny and were first grown in the garden of Louis X11 during the French Renaissance. The fruit is traditionally used as decorations for Christmas wreaths or as garnish in a fruit basket.
Taste: Mildly sweet, tart, and delicate.
3Baldwin
Aleksandr Zubkov//Getty Images Est. 1740s
Story: The Baldwin was among the most popular American apples until 1934, when a freeze wiped out most of its trees. This particular type of apple has been making a comeback in recent years and is delicious baked into a crisp.
Taste: One bite yields sweetness with a hint of spice.
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4Gravenstein
Leanna Rathkelly//Getty Images Est. 1790s
Story: In the U.S., this type of apple is grown almost exclusively in Sonoma County, CA, where it’s celebrated with an annual festival. Gravenstein are one of North America’s earliest apples to ripen each season. We recommend enjoying them chopped into snackable energy bites.
Taste: Crisp and tart with an intense, aromatic flavor.
5Esopus Spitzenburg
Tetra Images//Getty Images Est. Early 1800s
Story: Said to be a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, this heirloom variety of apple was discovered in Esopus, NY, and is still grown at Monticello today. Bake them into a delicious apple cobbler.
Taste: Floral scent, buttery flesh, and sharp flavor.
6McIntosh
Shashilesh Binodia / 500px//Getty Images Est. 1820s
Story: McIntosh is parent to beloved varieties including Empire, Cortland, and Macoun. This type of apple is particularly popular in New England and often used in apple cider.
Taste: Juicy, fresh, sweet, and bright.
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7Cox’s Orange Pippin
Mike Powles//Getty Images Est. 1825
Story: Cox’s Orange Pippin was England’s favorite for more than a century, but it has recently lost ground to more modern varieties like Gala. It’s best known for desserts and its unique range of flavor.
Taste: Rich, complex, and fruity.
8York
Phatcharee Saetoen / EyeEm//Getty Images Est. 1830
Story: This type of apple has a distinctively lopsided shape. The red apple was discovered on a farm near York, PA. But it soon won fans in Virginia and further south, where it remains popular. It keeps especially well, becoming sweeter and more mellow after several months.
Taste: Balance of sweet and sharp.
9Northern Spy
shene//Getty Images Est. 1840s
Story: New York and Connecticut both claim this apple variety as their own, but no one knows where it got its name. When eaten fresh, it serves up a particularly high level of vitamin C.
Taste: Crisp, delicious, sweet, and tart.
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10Granny Smith
Mohamad Zaki Mokhtar / EyeEm//Getty Images Est. 1860s
Story: Maria Ann Smith—or “Granny,” as she was called—discovered the seedling for this apple growing in her Australian compost pile. The tart flavor lends itself to baked apple recipes.
Taste: Incredibly tart, high acid, and subtle sweetness.
11Golden Delicious
liaminou//Getty Images Est. 1890s
Story: The first seedling for this type of apple was discovered on a family farm in West Virginia. A family descendant insists a nursery paid just $50 for the tree and all the fruit it produced—a bargain, considering it went on to be one of the most popular apples of all time.
Taste: Exceptionally rich, even custardy.
12Cortland
pjohnson1//Getty Images Est. 1915
Story: One of the first man-made hybrids in the U.S,, this much-adored apple is a cross between a McIntosh and an apple called the Ben Davis. Try it as a baked apple for dessert.
Taste: Crisp, juicy, sharp, and sweet-tart.
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13Macoun
Tetra Images//Getty Images Est. 1930s
Story: This type of apple was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. It’s pronounced Mac-ow-n, not Ma-coon.
Taste: Extra sweet, aromatic, super juicy, and exceptionally crunchy.
14Mutsu
BruceBlock//Getty Images Est. 1930
Story: A cross between Golden Delicious and Indo, it’s named after the Mutsu Province of Japan, where it was first grown and often sold under the name “Crispin.” It’s exceptionally large and can easily feed two when baked into a seasonal galette.
Taste: Honey flavor with a slight tangy finish.
15Fuji
Ababsolutum//Getty Images Est. 1940s
Story: Its parents, Ralls Janet and Delicious, are American, but the Fuji was bred in Japan. With higher sugar levels, this type is one of the sweetest around. And they’re great to add a touch of sweetness to salads. Great for eating fresh, Fujis are too juicy for baking.
Taste: They’re crisp, sweet, and refreshing.
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16Twenty Ounce
Francesco Carta fotografo//Getty Images Est. 1800s
Story: Though Twenty Ounce apples aren’t as popular in America anymore, they’re well known for their large size and high amount of vitamins A and C. They’re best baked into muffins and or a pie (the large size can fill almost an entire baked dish).
Taste: Mild flavor with a tangy and tart aftertaste.
17Empire
Brycia James//Getty Images Est. 1940s
Story: This cross between a McIntosh and a Red Delicious is named for New York (the Empire State), where it was first bred.
Taste: Extremely sweet and tart. Very crisp and juicy.
18Ginger Gold
Adam Smigielski//Getty Images Est. 1960s
Story: This apple variety is a cross between Golden Delicious and Albemarle Pippin. This variety is great cooked into pies or sliced raw in a bowl of yogurt.
Taste: Sweet, mildly tart, crisp, and very fresh.
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19Honeycrisp
Bloomberg Creative Photos//Getty Images Est. 1960s
Story: The lineage of the Honeycrisp is up for debate, but demand is great for this oh-so-popular apple. This variety tends to bruise easily and can be expensive due to the growing demand.
Taste: Juicy, sweet, and crunchy.
20Liberty
Mint Images - Jonathan Kozowyk//Getty Images Est. 1978
Story: Liberty was one of the earliest varieties of apples bred to be resistant to a pesky disease called apple scab. Because of this, these apples require little pesticides to grow.
Taste: Crisp, sweet, and deliciously tart.
Arielle Weg is the associate editor at Prevention and loves to share her favorite wellness and nutrition obsessions. She previously managed content at The Vitamin Shoppe, and her work has also appeared in Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, and more. You can usually find her taking an online workout class or making a mess in the kitchen, creating something delicious she found in her cookbook collection or saved on Instagram.
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