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Kate Walker's avatar

Those Beijing apple pics need further clarification, you can't just throw that out there and leave it hanging!

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Julia Watson's avatar

Haha. You're right. But I'm not sure what to say. Though I stared at them at length, I couldn't work out what had happened to them. I imagine that, like the pears in France's Poire William Eau de Vie, the apple blossoms were enclosed to develop in a mould.

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Kate Walker's avatar

Like the Japanese square watermelons!

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Julia Watson's avatar

Streuth! Though it might make it easier to cut a slice, it just seems visually less likely to inspire an appetite for it.

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Ruth Blackburn's avatar

Love having apple history to start my day! We’re lucky here in the Madison, WI area to have a nearby organic orchard with many varieties, Atoms to Apples. They sell at the farmers market near us and their stall is quite busy with each variety in its own bushel and bowls to use to gather them and then pay at the end. So, of course, I read the descriptions and pick out several but then forget to bag them separately! And I do still enjoy the surprise of eating each one!

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Julia Watson's avatar

People who haven't been so fortunate to try different varieties don't realise apples are like, say, cheese: each one completely different from the next. Some British supermarkets are now offering greater choice, selling what they call 'wonkies' - those that aren't beautiful enough in conformity of size or aspect to merit promotion

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