Extraordinary Ordinary: not often celebrated, the Golden Delicious apple is more often the butt of a joke than a compliment. Though try a South African version and chances are you will be surprised. Due to the specific growing conditions in South Africa, the variety is usually very sweet compared to the French or Italian equivalent (the same can be said for Granny Smith). The down-side of South African Golden Delicious is that sometimes the management of texture leaves something to be desired: it’s an unattractive fruit when soft, but this is much less of an issue than it used to be.
Available: May to September
Retailers: The main retailers in UK will sell South African and French Golden Delicious during the summer, with discount retailers often more focused on cheaper French or Italian fruit (the variety can be stored for at least 12 months).