| Huaniu | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Unripe Huaniu apple | |
| Genus | Malus |
| Hybrid parentage | Red Delicious;Ralls Genet;Golden Delicious |
| Cultivar | Huaniu |
| Origin | Huaniu town,Maiji District,Tianshui (1956) |
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Huaniu (花牛), also known asChinese Red Delicious is anapple cultivar originating in China. It is named afterHuaniu town,Tianshui, where it was first planted as a hybrid of ten varieties of apple trees, includingRed Delicious,Golden Delicious andRalls Janet in 1956.[1] The apple has a sweet taste comparable withFuji apples.[2] The apples have a soluble solid contents of 12.5-14%, sugar content of 1.86%, and malic acid content of 0.08%.[3][4]
In 1965, Huaniu farmers sent two boxes of apples toChairman of the Chinese Communist PartyMao Zedong to express their respect for him. Chairman Mao thanked the villagers, noting that he was very fond of the apple's taste. That same year, the apples were exported toHong Kong. The name of the village of Huaniu was put on the box, and the apples were preferred over the US-importedRed Delicious. Since then, Huaniu apples have become well known in China.[5]
In 2024,General Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi Jinping visited the Nanshan Huaniu Apple Base inMaiji District, highlighting it as an example of China'sRural Revitalization.[6][7]
It is grown in southeastern Gansu province, aroundTianshui[8][2][9] and inShanxi.[10]
A variety of Huaniu apples calledBlack Diamond has a deep purple skin colour, owing to highultraviolet light levels and lower temperature at night in its growing areas aroundNyingchi,Tibet.[11]