What is the difference in taste between the new varieties Kanzi apple and Jazz apple
In the 21st century, the important work of naming (or branding) new apple varieties is no longer left to happy growers, but has been taken over by marketing departments, who think apples are just another consumer product and could just as likely be naming a new car as a new apple. So we have Kanzi, a brand-new 21st-century apple, which means “hidden treasure” in Swahili - of course.
Kanzi, as a name, may not have the same solemnity as the old traditional apple varieties - however. Fortunately, it is a very good apple, so we can let the name grow on us. Kanzi was developed and marketed by Greenstar Kanzi Europe (GKE) and first came to market in 2006. It is not yet available from U.S. growers, and most of the supply comes from the Netherlands.
The Kanzi apple ticks the right boxes for a modern apple. It has a modern bicolored appearance and really does look very attractive on supermarket shelves. Marketing literature suggests Kanzi is deep red, but all the examples we have seen are red-orange. It is a fairly crisp apple, with a mild but pleasant apple flavor, slightly tart rather than sweet, and juicy.
The obvious comparison is with Jazz. Although Jazz was developed independently in New Zealand and has already been sold in supermarkets for several years, it is actually Kanzi's sibling - they share the same parents, Gala and Braeburn. We have done a great deal of comparative tasting of these two important new apples, and it is hard to say which is “best” - they are both very good examples of 21st-century apple development. Anyone who thinks only the old traditional apple varieties have any flavor must think again about these apple varieties. It is true that apple development went through a bad patch in the mid-20th century, when supermarkets put supply-chain attributes first, but there is no doubt that modern apples like Jazz and Kanzi are there. The taste of classic apple varieties.
The coloring is very similar, but we think Kanzi is arguably the prettier apple. Jazz looks a bit too tall, while Kanzi is more like Ariane (although their parents are completely different).
Appearance seems to matter, but for us it is mainly about the taste of the apple. Kanzi and Jazz taste very good, but they are also very different. Jazz apples have a more intense flavor, with a distinctive eye-drop aftertaste and rich flesh. Kanzi is more delicate, with a less pronounced flavor and lighter flesh. In our tests, so far most tasters have preferred Kanzi, partly because Jazz can sometimes be just a little too firm. Kanzi's mild flavor is also easier and less demanding, but perhaps less memorable. However, your objective author should state his own preference here: Jazz wins for its more distinctive flavor.
