The Fuji apple (富士リンゴ; Fuji ringo) is an apple cultivar developed by growers at the Tohoku Research Station in Morioka, Japan in the late 1930's and brought to market in 1962. It is a cross between the two American apple varieties, the Red Delicious and old Virginia Rawls Jennet apples.

Fuji apples are typically large or very large and round, on average the size of a baseball. They contain between 15-18% sugar and have a dense flesh that is sweeter and crispier than many other apple varieties, making them popular with consumers around the world. Fuji apples also have a very long shelf life compared to other apples, even without refrigeration. With refrigeration, Fuji apples can last up to 5-6 months.

In Japan, Fuji apples continue to be the unrivaled best-seller. Japanese consumers prefer the crispy texture and sweetness of Fuji apples almost to the exclusion other varieties and Japan's apple imports remain low. Aomori Prefecture is perhaps the best known apple growing region of Japan. Of the roughly 90 tons of apples produced annually, 50 tons come from Aomori.

Outside of Japan, the popularity of Fuji apples continues to grow. Fuji apples account for 80% of China's 20 million tons grown annually, for example. Since their introduction into the US market in the 1980's, Fuji apples have continued to gain popularity with American consumers as well. A relative stranger to American supermarket shelves even just 10 years ago, Fuji apples ranked at number 4 in 2003 on the US Apple Association's list of most popular apples, after Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Gala. Fuji apples are now grown in traditional apple-growing states such as Washington, New York, and California as demand shifts in both the domestic and foreign markets toward Fuji apples. Washington, the home of the Red Delicious and grower of half of America's apples, produces about 135,000 tons of Fuji apples each year, with only Red Delicious and Golden Delicious outweighing Fujis.

External links

• http://www.usapple.org/consumers/applebits/core.shtml
• http://www.producepete.com/shows/fujiapples.html
• http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp2/circular/2000/00-11/applesit.htm
• http://www.tonytantillo.com/fruits/apples.html
• http://www.american.edu/TED/esp/japan-apple.htm Japan-US Apple Trade Conflicts
• http://www.idfta.org/cft/1998/ vol31no1/barritt/Barritt_Fuji.pdf