Apple review: Koru
May. 31st, 2018 04:12 pmToday's apple is Koru. It's from New Zealand like Smitten, which I ate earlier this week. When I was picking this out at the grocery store, the guy stocking it cut one up and gave me half, and it really didn't taste like much to me, but a) it was chilled and b) I'd just had a big dinner and did not in the least want to eat an apple but felt like I should accept the gesture.
So I think I should go into this with an open mind. The apple's website says it's "crisp, sweet and juicy with complex aromatic honey flavours," and Adam says it's "rich and cidery, with hints of orange juice and something tropical in the mix. There are also little spice, some floral notes, and a very faint whisper of vanilla." I can't quite parse that last sentence, but you get the idea.
See that logo? What does it make you think of? From a distance, it made me think the apple looked like a rose; close up, it looks like maybe it has a tiny worm inside it.
Unsurprisingly, that was not the intent.
Verdict: Either it tastes better and less bland at room temperature than it did cold, or this is a better apple. Cidery and spice notes are definitely there, and it's juicy and crisp (but not tooth-breakingly so) with a hint of acidity. Sometimes it teeters on the edge of being too sweet, but the other flavors stay strong enough to balance it out. Unlike Smitten, the sweetness didn't eventually drown out everything else and make it a chore to finish.
Buy again? Did I say I'd buy Smitten again, last time? I must have been getting desperate. If Bristol Farms has both of these for a while, Koru is the one I'll be getting. It's actually quite good.
So I think I should go into this with an open mind. The apple's website says it's "crisp, sweet and juicy with complex aromatic honey flavours," and Adam says it's "rich and cidery, with hints of orange juice and something tropical in the mix. There are also little spice, some floral notes, and a very faint whisper of vanilla." I can't quite parse that last sentence, but you get the idea.
See that logo? What does it make you think of? From a distance, it made me think the apple looked like a rose; close up, it looks like maybe it has a tiny worm inside it.
Unsurprisingly, that was not the intent.
The word 'Koru' is a Maori (pre European settlers of New Zealand) word for the new unfurling fern frond as it unfolds to create a new leaf. The design is an important symbol in both Maori and New Zealand culture symbolizing new life, regeneration, growth, strength and peace.
The symbol also is one for renewal, and hope for the future as the circular shape conveys the idea of perpetual movement and the inward coil suggests a return to the point of origin, symbolizing the way in which life both changes and stays the same.
In choosing the colours for the KORU® Plumac c.v. apple branding, we decided that the distinctive red with orange tint of this apple was similar to the traditional red ochre colour used in Maori art. This colour is a symbol of mana (prestige, power and status). The other traditional colours in Maori art are black and white and have also been incorporated into the design. We employed a graphic designer to incorporate these concepts and the KORU® Plumac c.v. Brand logo, PLU sticker and box design flowed from this.
Verdict: Either it tastes better and less bland at room temperature than it did cold, or this is a better apple. Cidery and spice notes are definitely there, and it's juicy and crisp (but not tooth-breakingly so) with a hint of acidity. Sometimes it teeters on the edge of being too sweet, but the other flavors stay strong enough to balance it out. Unlike Smitten, the sweetness didn't eventually drown out everything else and make it a chore to finish.
Buy again? Did I say I'd buy Smitten again, last time? I must have been getting desperate. If Bristol Farms has both of these for a while, Koru is the one I'll be getting. It's actually quite good.
