It’s now widely accepted that Red Delicious apples are the worst apples. You’ll see a basket of them at every bad continental breakfast—dark red, rock hard, and tasting like a mushy nothing. But they weren’t always like that.
Back when they were just called Delicious (their “golden” cousin didn’t yet exist), they were sweeter and had more flavor, more crunch, and a thinner skin. They also tended to be a little bit stripey, like a Gala apple, instead of uniformly red.
Even though all Red Delicious apples are supposed to be clones of the original tree (they are propagated by cuttings rather than by seeds), nature finds a way. Growers favored variations (called “sports”) that were redder and had thicker, less bruise-able skin. Flavor became less of a priority.
The details of how apples are stored and transported can also affect their flavor. I’ve tasted older style Red Delicious apples straight off the tree—my grandfather planted some long ago—and can confirm they taste a lot better than the grocery store version.
