Hurray for the return of flavor

I thoroughly enjoyed your piece on non-delicious apples, “The Temptation Is Back,” (Oct. 23). It confirmed what I have long suspected and gave me hope that true apples are making a comeback. Having just returned from Oak Glen, Calif., with two bags of Mutsus, it was good to know that similarly tasty species are returning. Now can you do a similar piece on strawberries? Surely the watery, tasteless monstrosities being marketed today are fruit of the same mind-set -- appearance and keeping qualities over flavor every time. Shall we then proceed to tomatoes?

Diane Bradley

Claremont

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The article about apples was interesting and informative. I have not used Red Delicious for many years because of their mealiness and little taste.

My all-time favorite apple is the Arkansas Black, which is grown in limited quantities in Oak Glen. It is tart and crunchy crisp but small. I have never seen it in the local markets.

Al Dougherty

Mission Viejo

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Although I enjoyed Emily Green’s piece on the decline and rebirth of apples that you’d want to eat, I was disappointed that the state of cooking apples was left out. The Granny Smiths are not only “hard, green and tart,” they are downright acidic and ultimately tasteless. Where are the apples worth displaying on a tart, or taking the trouble to enclose in a good homemade crust, or just filling with raisins and cinnamon and baking on a cold day?

Karen Greenbaum-Maya

Claremont

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Your article was so to the point I almost cried. I am a lover of fresh apples going way back. While I was working for 38 years, I ate an apple a day to freshen me up and help get me through the air-conditioned atmosphere.

Gradually the quality of apples began to deteriorate. I love a good sweet, crisp apple, like the Red Delicious used to be. I stopped eating apples on a regular basis. Once in a while I’d try a Fujii or Gala but missed the old taste of the real Red Delicious. The Golden Delicious seems to have held up somewhat better only it’s hard to find a sweet one.

Nelson Wong

Irvine