Black diamond apple is a variety of apple grown in Tibet, notable for its deep violet color. It belongs to the family of Huaniu apples, known as the Chinese Red Delicious, which is an apple cultivar that originated from China.
Black diamond apple is considered one of the most luxurious types of apples, so why is this dark-colored fruit so rare?
Why are Black Diamond Apples that Color?
The color of black diamond apples is attributed to its geographical location in the small city of Nyingchi found in the mountains of Tibet, an autonomous region of China.
Its high location is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet light during daytime. The warm temperature and sudden changes to low temperatures at night is what causes this variant to adapt to its excessive changes in climate in the area. This enables it to grow and adopt its unique color on the outside.
The insides are the same as any other ordinary apple with white-coloured flesh, just like other apples.
How do Black Diamond Apples Taste?
The black diamond apple variant is one of the sweetest apples because of its very high natural glucose content. It also has thicker skin giving off a waxier shine to its appearance and also a crunchier bite.
This apple hybrid is not one of the many apple variants that most farmers would produce because of its very particular growing conditions. The very same climate and fluctuating temperatures as those in the Tibet mountains are very hard to recreate in most parts of the world.
In what Conditions are Black Diamond Apples Grown?
The black diamond apple takes a lot of time to mature. It only takes about 2-3 years for a common apple tree to grow while for the black diamond apple it would need around 8 years.
The steep mountains where they are grown also pose a great challenge for the farmers cultivating these apples. Along with the harsh conditions, it would be very difficult for the locals to proliferate this variety in higher numbers due to its high maintenance costs.
The harvesting season is around the month of October and is only available in the market for 2 months. The supply of this fruit is limited and not all can also pass the quality control test at once.
Only about 30 per cent of the harvested apples at a time can pass this strict test and are up for sale. Because of this restricted distribution and the low supply, the price per piece is sold at very high costs.
This is what makes it one of the rarest apples that one can get his/her hands on as this is sold mostly in high-end stores in China and can be bought with a certain number of pieces per person only.
Its difficult cultivating needs and conditions along with its very expensive price give off the luxurious reputation that it has. These are the reasons why this apple is surely very difficult to have for most people.