Red Fuji apples are grown mainly in the north, with Shandong, Shaanxi and Gansu the best known

Red Fuji is the collective name for the well-coloured varieties within the Fuji apple family. It originated in Japan, bred from a cross between a Delicious (Red Delicious) strain and Ralls Janet. Its fruit is well shaped, sweet, crisp and juicy, and it stores and ships well; after being introduced to China it spread very quickly, and today it has become one of the most widely grown late-season apple varieties in the country. Most of the apples commonly seen on the autumn and winter market belong to this group.

Red Fuji likes a climate with plenty of sunlight, a large day-night temperature difference and moderate rainfall, while deep, loose, well-drained soil helps the fruit colour up and accumulate sugar, so the growing areas are mostly concentrated in the north. Two major advantage-producing regions have roughly taken shape: the Bohai Bay area and the Loess Plateau. Yantai in Shandong, Luochuan in Shaanxi, Jingning in Gansu, as well as Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi and Henan, all have large plantings. Aksu in Xinjiang is also a well-known Fuji producing area; the strong sunshine and big temperature swings there give its apples a reputation for a honeyed core.

Red Fuji from different regions has its own flavour characteristics. The coastal producing areas of Shandong have a humid climate, and the fruit mostly shows striped red colouring with plenty of juice; the Loess Plateau producing areas sit at higher altitude, so the fruit surface is darker in colour and the sweetness and aroma are more pronounced; the honey-core apples of Aksu have a translucent, honeyed centre in the flesh when cut open, and are especially sweet and crisp.

When choosing, first check whether the skin is smooth and clean and whether the colouring is even, then weigh the fruit in your hand: at the same size, the heavier ones have more juice. Red Fuji is a late-maturing variety that comes onto the market mainly in autumn, and it tastes best in season; once you take it home, storing it in a cool, airy place keeps it for quite a long time, and refrigeration preserves it even better.