Long might discussions rage over which variety is the best dessert apple. The proof of the pudding lies in the eating, so I am always interested in claims seeking to elevate one variety over another.
Before the southern hemisphere season gets underway, one contender might be French Honey Crunch arriving on Sainsbury’s shelves at £1.99 for a four-pack. The variety is now becoming better known, but what caught my eye was the sticker proclaiming it to be “Voted No 1 apple in independant (sic) taste tests”.
The question is by whom, how many, when and against which other varieties? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that I assume the label - and its spelling mistake - originated across the Channel.
Nearer home - Hampshire to be precise - Marks & Spencer is credibly, in my opinion, claiming that Lord Selborne’s Cox’s Orange Pippin, enhanced with the Union Jack, is the perfect sweet and juicy snacking apple for kids.
The eight-pack priced at £1.79 also reveals that there are apparently between 7,000 and 8,000 different varieties so the jury should be out for years if it ever tried to come to a conclusion over which is the best.
Spring must be in the air, certainly as far as Tesco’s baby-leaf salads are concerned.
It is the first time I have noticed the sort of detail that is now appearing across the range. Apart from a re-sealable bag, another eye-catching aspect is the substantially increased size of the lettering to highlight lesser known contents in the blends.
Perhaps the most innovative is the New World pack at £1.59 which not only defines the sort of taste customers can expect, but goes as far as recommending that it is ideal with fish.
For culinary experts the contents are red batavia, spinach, baby pak choi, fenugreek and coriander. And carnivores should not despair - there is also a special mix to go with steaks.
While on the salad track I wonder if there is a definition of how small a cucumber has to be before it is classed as mini, or come to that, a courgette? I make the observation simply because size seems still to be confusing customers to the extent they are unsure what they are buying.
We are entering an interesting time of the year as Easter approaches, which must be something of a challenge for branch ordering at a time when the weather is so changeable.
My spies tell me there is a shortage of good English carrots on the horizon, although as yet, there is little evidence of this on the shelves. Similarly, the stop-start situation with Spanish soft fruit cannot be helpful, although it is surprising what a lift in temperatures can achieve in a short while.