Cosmic Crisp

Cosmic Crisp is an American apple with the cultivar designation WA 38.^[1] Breeding began in 1997 at the Washington State University (WSU) Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, Washington, and was initially overseen by Bruce Barritt. Kate Evans completed the research after Barritt's retirement from WSU.^[2]

Cosmic Crisp
Genus	Malus
Species	Malus domestica
Hybrid parentage	Honeycrisp × Enterprise
Cultivar	WA 38
Marketing names	Cosmic Crisp
Origin	Washington State University, 1997

Characteristics

The Cosmic Crisp is a cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples. It is intended to have the texture and juiciness of the Honeycrisp, and the late-ripening behavior and long storage of the Enterprise.^[3] The Cosmic Crisp is characterized mainly by uniformly colored dark red skin, dense firm flesh, and an improved shelf life.^[4] It is capable of lasting in cold storage for more than ten months and does not brown quickly once cut open.^[5] The look of the apple's light lenticels against its wine-red skin reminded focus groups of a galaxy against a night sky, which led to it being named the Cosmic Crisp.^[1] Compared to the Honeycrisp, the Cosmic Crisp is fairly easy to cultivate, making it popular among farmers.^[6] It is the first widely grown apple variety developed in Washington^[7] and is exclusively grown there per an agreement with WSU that expires in March 2027.^[8]

The apple ripens at the same time as the Red Delicious and is expected by producers to replace a large part of Red Delicious stocks, as the latter continues to lose market demand.^[9] The Cosmic Crisp apple was made available to consumers in 2019,^[10] after twenty years of development.^[11][12]

The New York Times described the apple as "dramatically dark, richly flavored and explosively crisp and juicy", making it "the most promising and important apple of the future".^[13] FoodRepublic.com called it "firmer than the Honeycrisp, but not too firm. And it is high in both sugar and acidity, making it far superior to the Red Delicious, Gala and Fuji varieties as well."^[14] Northwest Public Radio notes that Washington, which produces 70% of U.S. apples, is betting that the cultivar will "conquer" the market.^[15]

First plantings

The variety was first planted for commercial use in spring 2017, with twelve million trees pre-ordered by Washington state orchards.^[16] Interest in the cultivar was so high, the trees initially had to be distributed to apple farmers in a lottery held in 2014—WSU had planned to provide 300,000 saplings but were met with requests for four million.^[17][7] Within three years, over thirteen million Cosmic Crisp trees had been planted. Lawsuits emerged between WSU and a Seattle spin off, which the university claimed distributed over 100,000 trees improperly.^[18][19] WSU owns the Cosmic Crisp patent.

Marketing and popularity

Apples for sale shortly after the December 1, 2019, introduction in the Seattle area

A campaign worth $10 million was funded by Washington State through the Washington Apple Commission and other agencies to promote the new apple variety,^[7] using the taglines "Imagine the Possibilities" and "The Apple of Big Dreams".^[1] Said to be the largest marketing campaign in the history of the apple industry,^[20] it included payments to social media influencers and a partnership with a touring children's production of Johnny Appleseed.^[21][9] The term "Cosmic Crisp" is trademarked.^[1]

The apples went on sale for the first time in late 2019, beginning with a QFC store in University Village, Seattle, on December 1, 2019.^[22] Demand subsequently grew by a large margin.^[9] By the 2020s, the Cosmic Crisp had become one of the most cultivated and most sold apple varieties in the United States.^[23][24] According to the US Apple Association, the Cosmic Crisp continues to see growth in the American market, as of the mid-2020s.^[25] By 2025, enough Cosmic Crisp apple trees have been planted for the variety to be available all year round.^[8]

Outside of the United States, the Cosmic Crisp has seen high sales in Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, and Vietnam; these countries accounted for 96% of all exports of the variety during the 2021–22 crop season. In Mexico, the Cosmic Crisp has seen steady growth in sales despite the enduring popularity of the Red Delicious and expanding market share of the Gala.^[26] Cosmic Crisp apples are also sold in Spain, Italy, and Germany, with marketing campaigns aimed at young urban residents.^[27]

See also

• Food portal

• Crimson Delight, Washington State University's first apple variety, also known as WA 2
• SweeTango, a cross of the Honeycrisp and Zestar
• EverCrisp, a hybrid of the Honeycrisp and Fuji
• SugarBee, another offspring of the Honeycrisp