Green Dragon Apple Review

"A Disenchanting Legend"

59
Barely Worth It
Green Dragon Apple

A mythical Japanese heirloom from the 1920s, this smallish, freckly, green beast has been reborn in the modern-day Pacific Northwest and masterfully re-branded by apple alchemists as the mighty Green DragonTM. But despite finding success as an Asian export, the days of yore when dragons ruled the Earth shall not be relived. For any that dare venture into the depths of the Green Dragon’s lair may be rewarded by a treasure-trove of flavor complexities but will be quickly punished by a bruise resistant dragon-scale skin that will cut into your throat like the blade of Excalibur. With each bite, any initial juicy burst dissipates instantaneously as if met by white-hot dragon-fire as the saccharine sweetness, only matched by a maiden’s embrace, fades into the realm of forgotten lore. Alas, this dragon is not the staggering legend the packaging portends. And, thus, those galant souls who brought this underwhelming monster back into the fold are, sadly, unworthy of a knighthood.

Taste
Crispness
Skin
Flesh
Juiciness
Density
Beauty
Branding / CONSISTENCY
Cost/Availability

- FLAVOR PROFILE -

SWEETNESS

3/5

Red Apple Icon
3/5

TARTNESS

0/5

Red Apple Icon
0/5

INTENSITY

2.5/5

Red Apple Icon
2.5/5
GREEN DRAGON BIO

PARENTAGE

Golden Delicious x Indo

ORIGIN

Japan

YEAR

1920s

AVAILABILITY

Late Fall – Early Winter

BEST USES

Munching

OTHER NAMES

Washu 1984

6 thoughts on “Green Dragon Apple Review”

  1. What?? Where on earth did you try this? While it doesn’t top my list for overall quality the ones I’ve had were the sweetest apples I’ve tasted – certainly more than 3/5, and the skin wasn’t too bad. I look forward to their brief run. There’s clearly a major difference in quality for some varieties based on various factors. I just had Sweetangos for the third time (as soon as they hit the shelves) and I’m still not blown away by them, and the first Cosmic Crisps I tried didn’t even seem like the same variety as later ones, even though they’re supposed to have specific quality standards. (I haven’t seen the crappy ones on shelves since that first time so I think someone lost their contract – they’re available consistently and always much better.)

  2. I agree with Kari! I’ve eaten these apples twice, and, though certainly not the most intense in flavor, they have a clean refreshing juiciness reminiscent of persian cucumber. Definitely a pretty good, or even a fine fellow of an apple in my opinion!

  3. when it comes to apples bred in or popular in east Asia, especially Japan- might i recommend peeling them before eating? that’s much more common there- here in the US we tend to chomp right in, but in Japan peeling fruit before eating is 100% more common. you’ll probably get a better impression on what fans are enjoying about them if you eat them the way they’re typically eaten

    1. Some snob from the apple industry dropped into the comments a while back to criticize doing taste tests with skin on, because apparently professionals ALWAYS peel them first – which explains a lot. Apparently they don’t care about the fact that most people who eat apples fresh do so whole with the skin on. I grab them because they’re an easy snack on the go, not because I want to sit in the kitchen peeling and slicing them. I don’t criticize varieties as much for their skin as a *certain someone* because I recognize that it’s probably a factor in their ability to hold, but some really are awful. Green Dragon isn’t the worst.

    2. I don’t think peeling these apples is going to save them from the fact that they taste like crispy, dry nothingness. They essentially just taste like diluted sugar water. I am a bit shocked at the idea that Japanese people, and East Asians in general, would love these apples. I love all sorts of East Asian foods due to their robust and wholesome flavors, and I know that Japan in particular produces many top-quality fruits such as Crown melons and Omakase strawberries. I gleaned no flavor from this apple whatsoever. Wildly disappointing fruit.

  4. Eating this apple right now. It’s the most unremarkable apple I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a literally flavorless apple before. The flesh is fairly crisp, but the skin is a hide-like doozy. I wish the one I got was even half as beautiful as the example photo – mine is more like pale nerdy dragon plagued with blackheads & an obvious lack of sunlight. I’m glad I got this apple on sale, and I’m understanding why they were the only apple at the store being discontinued. I only finished it out of principle (never waste edible food). Avoid this one, folks.

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