Flavor Boulevard

These plum-sized apples belong to one of the oldest cultivars first known to the Romans, but I only saw them for the first time at Lucky last weekend. Some have a rosy cheek on one side, some are burgundy all around the upper half, like a little rotund Red Riding Hood with greenish yellow gown.

The cheerfully color-contrasted skin feels waxy smooth as I run them under the faucet. Memories of Thai apples (poodza) rush through my fingers, but Thai apples are whole green and oblong with a pointy bottom, the Ladies here are shaped like mochi dumplings slightly squished by two fingers at both ends. I pick one up close to my mouth, before the lips can get to its skin, the nose already catches a fresh swift of the dimple where its stem sprouts.

It’s crisp, like a pile of crunchy leaf. Its sweetness and tartness are lady-like.

One of my advisors likes to eat the entirety of an apple minus the stem and the seeds. He doesn’t leave a core. Which makes me think he’d love to pop these whole in the mouth, especially since their seeds are just as big as a red globe grape’s seed. I instead dip one into a chocolate pudding cup and pinch off small bites. It’s better than chocolate covered strawberries.

$2 for 10 momentary joys.