20 Best Apple Varieties in India | Types of Apples

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away! And here are not one but 20 Best Apple Varieties in India that are both tasty and healthy!

Crisp and sweet apples are full of fiber and Vitamin-C. Unlike other fruits, apples grow in a temperate climate. States like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and Nagaland are popular for their cultivation. But, only specific varieties are commercially cultivated, while some are imported. Here are some of the best Best Apple Varieties in India!

Check out our article on best strawberry varieties in India here 

Best Apple Varieties in India

1. Ambri Apple

Pride of the Kashmir valley, these apples have a flat base. The cream flesh texture is crispy and firm with a sharp floral note. The fruit peel has a green-hue, with red stripes. The apple has good keeping quality.

2. McIntosh apple

Having a mix of red-green skin and off white flesh, this variety has a sweet-tarty taste. It is great for raw consuming, cooking, desserts, and pie preparation. In India, it grows in Uttaranchal, UP, and Himachal Pradesh.

3. Granny Smith

Unlike other apples, granny smith apples have a grass-green peel, with white dots. The crunchy and juicy flesh is tarty-acidic and makes a great choice for processing pies, cakes, and pastries. It mainly grows in Himachal Pradesh and has high levels of antioxidants and phenols.

4. Golden Delicious

As the name signifies, these apples have pale green-yellow skin. The flavor is sweet, making it a staple ingredient of salads, apple butter, and sauce. The texture is semi-firm. It mainly grows in Jammu, Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.

5. Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp retains its crispiness and shelf life for long and has a sweet-tangy flavor. These apples make a good choice for raw consumption and beverages.

6. Sunehari

This hybrid variety is developed in India and is the resultant cross of ambri and golden delicious apple. They have a yellow peel with crimson streaks. The flesh is crunchy and juicy with sweet- acetous taste.

7. Lal Ambri

Indigenous to India, this hybrid variety is developed by crossing Red delicious and Ambri apple breeds. The cream-white pulpy flesh has a crisp, tender texture and has a sweet-juicy flavor. The variety comes from Jammu and Kashmir.

8. Chaubattia Anupam

A cross of Early Shanburry and Red Delicious, this hybrid variety grows extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. It has glossy skin with vertical red stripes. The crunchy white flesh is sweet-tangy and also exudes a distinctive aroma.

9. Red Delicious

A popular variety of Himachal Pradesh, this cultivar produces large and oblong-conical shaped apples. This dark red apple has a mild-sweet and tender flavor. It grows throughout the year and famous for table or raw consumption purposes.

10. Tydeman’s Early

Tydeman’s Early has a red-scarlet skin with a yellow-green base. Its crunchy and juicy flesh has a tarty-sweet flavor with a floral note. It mainly grows in the states of Himachal Pradesh and J&K. This apple goes best with salads and desserts.

11. Fuji Apple

Fuji apples are large in size with round shape and pale red-green skin. The crispy texture and sweet flesh make them the first choice for raw consumption. They also have a comparatively longer shelf life.

12. Red Gold

Indigenous to the USA, the Red gold is the hybrid of Golden Delicious and Red Delicious cultivars. The apples have shiny, deep red skin and yellow flesh. The red gold is one of the sweetest apples.

13. Golden Spur

Golden Spur has a crispy flesh. The major part of this cultivar comes from Himachal Pradesh. Other spur apple cultivar that readily grows in India are Red spur, Starkrimson, Red Chief, and Oregon spur.

14. Parlin’s Beauty

This is a late-season apple variety that is suitable for processing. In India, it mostly grows in Tamilnadu. This one is one of the most popular and best apple varieties grown in India.

15. Gala Apple

Gala apples are comparatively larger in size. Both the peel and flesh of apple are sweet and juicy, marked by a floral note, making them perfect for snacks, juices, and salads.

16. Irish Peach

Irish Peach has a sweet-tangy taste with a peach note. It is a self-sterile cultivar and requires a pollinator. It mainly grows in Jammu Kashmir and is best for direct consuming.

17. Starking Delicious

The pale green skin of starting delicious has crimson stripes. It cultivates abundantly in Himachal and Uttar Pradesh. It has a pleasant flavor with a hint of honey.

18. Mollies Delicious

Mollies Delicious can be kept fresh for up to 10 weeks in cold storage. The flesh is firm and crispy of white-greenish color. Native to Himachal Pradesh and J&k, this variety is a result of not one, but two crosses.

19. Benoni

The greasy skin of Benoni has red-orange streaks. The flesh is tender and sweet with a slight citric kick. In India, they popularly grow in the states of J&K and Uttar Pradesh.

20. Starkrimson

The dark red skin of Starkrimson apple has tiny, white flecks. Its flesh is tangier with a sweet floral note. States like J&k, Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand, and UP are chief regions of their growth.