When I visited the UBC Apple Festival in October, I encountered a huge selection of apples, ranging from the common (like the Pink Lady) to the obscure (like the Margil). One of the obscure ones was the Winter Banana. The sign said that it tasted like banana... so more out of skepticism than out of curiosity, I picked up a bag for $8 to try them out.

Background

apple, peach, nectarine, juice, sweet
Jasmine Chan

It always helps to know your subject beforehand, so before I embarked on my taste test, I did some quick research on the web, which led me to sites describing the Winter Banana as “attractive,” “the “Fairest of the fair,” and “an all-time classic.”. Pretty high praise for an apple. Would my apples hold up to the test? It was time to find out.

First Thoughts

apple, sweet, quince
Owen Yin

The Winter Banana is definitely on the big side. It had a beautiful blush of red on one side, as well as a ridge running down vertically, which I found to be a distinctive trait. It gave off a noticeable fruity fragrance, one that lasted in the rest of my apples for days.

The Test

apple, sweet, pear
Jasmine Chan
The first bite of the apple delivered a satisfying crunch, but tasted, well, just like a regular apple. After a few more bites, though, I noticed that the first taste I got in each bite was very banana-like, but the taste quickly faded and was taken over by a regular apple taste.

There was certainly some tartness, but it was balanced nicely with the sweetness so it wasn’t overwhelming. The fragrance of the apple definitely added to the experience, but finishing the whole apple took quite a while.

The final verdict? There were definitely banana-esque flavours in the Winter Banana, but it didn't stand out. If you ever happen to see the Winter Banana for sale, definitely try it out. It might not become your favourite apple, but it’ll definitely rank high.