As I discovered when I read Rowan Jacobsen’s Apples of Uncommon Character, a name can make or break an apple type. Heirloom apples were commonly named after who discovered or propagated them or where they were discovered. Such as Ben Davis, McIntosh, and Rome, which came not from Italy but the little town of Rome, Ohio. Such down-homey names served for centuries.
When the commercial apple industry began to develop names had to become a little snappier to appeal to the mass market. Thus came Red Delicious, Cameo, and Gala.
Modern apples have even catchier names which often sound like cosmetics. SweeTango, Envy, Pacific Rose, and RubyFrost could all be shades of lipstick.
Need a name for a kind of apple? Here’s some randomgenned ones.
Apples
| Rosaling
Opalheim Michigan Gold Deep Heart Clearfall Monticello Spice Miss Rainbow Northfast Russet Jubilade Mistress of Rum Lake Erie Pumpkin Crimson Sun Clarion Red Sassy Girl |
Handfell Crisp
Grovington Sunnyjazz Colonial Jewel Emerald Ross Boston Cimarron Mrs. Burns Cherry Garnet Carmine Zest Mother Jubilation Jacketing Sunburn Sunset Celebration Berrypick |
