The short version
Red Delicious is sweeter with thicker skin and better storage. Gala is milder, thinner-skinned and easier to eat. Gala overtook Red Delicious as the most-grown apple in the country, but Red Delicious still dominates export markets where storage life matters more than texture.
The short answer
Red Delicious sits at a 9 of 10 on our sweetness scale and Gala at a 7, so Red Delicious is the sweeter apple. That surprises people, because the reputation says otherwise.
The reputation is really about skin and texture, not flavor. Red Delicious has thick skin that some people find tough. Gala has thin skin that disappears in the bite. That single difference explains most of what happened to these two varieties.
Red Delicious and Gala at a glance
| Red Delicious | Gala | |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | 9 of 10 | 7 of 10 |
| Flavor | Mildly sweet, very low acid | Mild, sweet, aromatic |
| Texture | Firm, crisp, juicy | Crisp, fine grained |
| Skin | Thick | Thin |
| Shape | Elongated with toothy lobes | Round, striped or solid red |
| Michigan harvest | Around September 25 | Around August 25 |
| Storage | Excellent, built for long shipping | Good, year round from storage |
| Best for | Snacking, salads, apple salsa | Snacking, salads, cooking |
How they taste
Red Delicious is mildly sweet with very low acidity and crisp, juicy flesh under that deep crimson skin. Eaten fresh and in season it is a perfectly good apple. Eaten after a long journey and a warm produce case, the thick skin and low acid can read as flat.
Gala is mildly sweet and aromatic with a thinner skin, and it tastes the same year after year. That consistency is the whole product. It satisfies most people and disappoints almost nobody.
What actually happened to Red Delicious
It won a contest. Discovered in Iowa in the 1880s, Red Delicious rose to fame after being named America’s favorite apple, and for most of the twentieth century it was the default apple in every American store.
Then the market changed. Shoppers started choosing on texture and skin rather than on looks, and a generation of thinner-skinned, higher-flavor varieties arrived. Gala is the one that took the top spot.
Red Delicious did not get worse. The competition got better and the standards moved.
Where Red Delicious still wins
Export. Red Delicious is an excellent storage apple with skin sturdy enough to survive long journeys to distant markets, which is exactly what an export program needs.
Today most of the crop goes overseas. It is especially popular in Mexico, Central America and India, where warm, dry climates limit domestic apple production and an imported apple that arrives in good condition is genuinely welcome.
Reach for Red Delicious if
You want the sweetest of the two, you are dicing apples for salsa or salad where skin texture matters less, or you need fruit that holds up over a long haul.
Reach for Gala if
You are eating out of hand, you are packing lunches for children, you want thin skin, or you want an apple that works for snacking and cooking both.
The toothy shape is the giveaway
Red Delicious is the only common variety with that elongated body and the five pronounced lobes at the base. If you grew up drawing an apple, you were probably drawing this one.
Red Delicious and Gala, answered
Which is sweeter, Red Delicious or Gala?
Red Delicious, at a 9 of 10 on our scale against Gala at a 7. Red Delicious also has very low acidity, so nothing cuts the sweetness.
Who eats Red Delicious now?
Much of the crop is grown for export. It is especially popular in Mexico, Central America and India, where warmer, drier climates limit large-scale apple production.
Why do people say Red Delicious does not taste good?
Usually it is the skin, which is thicker than most modern varieties, combined with low acidity that can read as flat. A fresh, in-season Red Delicious eats far better than its reputation suggests.
Why do Gala apples look different from bag to bag?
Different strains. A strain is a variation of a known variety with slightly altered characteristics, such as striped versus solid coloring or an earlier harvest. The variety is the same apple.
Can I bake with either one?
Gala is the better choice of the two and works in crisps and pies. Red Delicious is low in acid and best kept raw. For serious baking, use Jonagold, Ida Red or Cortland.