Mirror, mirror, on the wall, what’s the sweetest apple of them all? Fuji and Gala are both among the most popular types of apples; with their shiny red color and a distinctly sweet taste, they’re great examples of the peak apple experience. Fuji, however, is the sweeter of the two and also holds the title for the sweetest apple variety of all. Named for Fujisaki, the Japanese town they originate from, Fuji apples are a massively popular variety in the United States and worldwide.
They were developed as a cross between two American apple varieties and first hit the markets in the early 1960s, but only came to the United States two decades later. Fuji apples are in season during the late fall and tend to grow pretty big. Gala apples, on the other hand, come from New Zealand and were reportedly the favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II. They are smaller than the Fuji variety, seasonal in late summer and early fall, and were even pronounced as America’s favorite apple in 2018.
How to choose between Fuji and Gala apples in your recipes
Though similar in some aspects, Fuji and Gala apples come with different textures. Not only is Fuji noticeably sweeter, it’s also crisper and holds its shape better when baked. It’s the perfect type for recipes where you want the apple to retain some of the bite and not get too mushy. We used Fuji apples in our classic apple cobbler recipe, but they could also work in the apple fritter breakfast casserole for a sweeter spin. You can use them in salads, too, especially when striving to balance the greens with some sweetness and a good crunch — exhibit A, our apple harvest salad.
Gala apples are texturally softer than Fujis and come with a milder flavor. They are perfect for making applesauce or the kind of desserts that aim for a very tender, even slightly pulpy fruit consistency. The apple dump cake, for example, would come out great with Gala apples, creating a melt-in-your-mouth kind of feeling. Apple pecan muffins with cinnamon crumble would be another good contender. Even when you’re not baking them, Gala apples perform great — we specifically chose them for the simple apple tuna salad, as their softness blends beautifully with the overall creamy nature of the tuna dish.
