Any way you slice them, Gala apples are very popular and present nearly anywhere you can buy an apple. They’re grown in countries across the world, from their native New Zealand to Australia to Chile to the United States, and they often rank highly in reviews of different apple varieties, even if there are occasional dissenters who don’t find them that impressive. What’s so unique about these apples that they’ve conquered the world? Let’s dive into the core of this question by examining these sweet fruits.
The Origins and Distinct Qualities of Gala Apples
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Like many cultivars, Gala apples were first bred by crossing two existing varieties. In the 1930s, New Zealand horticulturalist and orchardist James Hutton Kidd was using a scientific approach unique among breeders at the time in his experiments to cross existing apple varieties and create new, more disease-resistant ones. When he crossbred Golden Delicious with his own cultivar, Kidd’s Orange Red, he created several new strands of apples, including the Gala.
The new apples inherited their unique, distinct colors and flavor profiles from their parents. Their striped or mottled skins combined the blush of the Kidd’s Orange Red with the pale yellow base of the Golden Delicious; their insides combined a sweet honeylike flavor with an appealingly crisp texture. Their sweetness, juiciness, and lack of tartness made them very popular as they were introduced to other parts of the world.
Their Many Uses By Themselves and In Recipes
Since they strike an effective balance between natural sweetness and light tanginess, Galas make great healthy treats for any apple lover who prefers milder tastes. As they have a higher water content and more fiber than other varieties like Fuji, they also make more refreshing, hydrating snacks to eat if you want to cool off on very hot days.
Since they’re crisp and sweet, they are among the best varieties to pair with savory foods or toss into salads. As they have low acidity levels and overripen quickly, they work well in almost any kind of recipe that calls for soft apples. While not the best choice for apple pies and crisps, they’re ideal ingredients for apple sauce, crumble, or juice that’s mellow and fruity.
Their Global Spread and Popularity
Many farmers and apple enthusiasts found this variety’s taste and texture so appealing that they decided to cultivate their own orchards focused on this apple. Out of their origin country of New Zealand, these apples were propagated and distributed across temperate, warm-growing regions across the world, including Australia, Chile, Italy, and the United States. The Australian state of Tasmania and the U.S. state of Washington in particular are both great for growing them due to their favorable climates and well-draining soils.
Looking specifically at the United States, these apples have grown more popular ever since they were first introduced there in the 1970s. In 2018, Gala ended the five-decade reign of Red Delicious to become the U.S.’s top apple variety; in 2023, the U.S. produced 45 million bushels of Gala (around 18% of its entire apple market) compared to 31 million bushels of Red Delicious. Some reasons for their wide distribution and popularity are that, besides looking and tasting great, they’re much easier for producers to grow and store compared to “fussier” varieties and for consumers to find year-round in grocery stores.
Final Thoughts
It can be hard to notice and appreciate the unique qualities of something when it’s so popular and omnipresent. Since first being bred in New Zealand nearly 100 years ago, Gala apples have taken the world by storm due to their sweet taste and crisp textures, ease of growing in temperate climates, and versatile use in various beloved recipes. Their unique appeal will keep them at the top of the apple world for a long time.
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