This is the Nippon Yell Dried Fruit Aomori Ōrin, featuring bite-sized pieces of dried and candied ōrin apples grown in Aomori. Ōrin apples, developed in 1952 by the Aomori Apple Research Station, are a cross between Golden Delicious and Indo apples, and are the third most widely produced apple variety in Japan.
Each piece had a pale yellow hue and a mellow sweet apple aroma. The pieces varied in size, averaging about 2 cm at their widest. The exterior was dry and firm to the touch, but yielded easily when bitten, offering little resistance. The initial sweetness from the candied surface was quickly followed by a strong acidity, which mellowed after a few bites as the piece almost melted on the palate, revealing a soft fibrous texture reminiscent of cooked apple flesh. The mid-bite acidity was balanced by a light, mellow sweetness before the fresh acidity returned in the finish. Of the three varieties we tried in parallel (Esashi and Fuji), this was the softest and mildest, with the least sweetness and the most prominent acidity.
This Nippon Yell Dried Fruit Aomori Ōrin contained 22 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.