Did you know there are over 7,500 apple varieties worldwide? With that many varieties, how do you know which are sweet or tart? Which apple should you use to make a dessert? Here is some information on 9 commonly known apples, starting from sweet to tart.

FUJI
Like fine wine, Fuji's flavor improves with age. Its spicy, crisp sweetness makes it excellent out of hand or as applesauce. Fuji varies from yellow-green with red highlights to very red.

Fuji was bred from a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet varieties at the Tohuku Research station in Morioka, Japan in 1939 and introduced into Japanese production in 1958. This variety is a relatively recent arrival in the United States and has developed a loyal following.

Usage: Excellent for salads, snacks and makes great applesauce.

GALA
Gala is heart-shaped with distinctive yellow-orange skin and red striping. It offers a crisp, sweet taste that can't be beat. Gala is the perfect take along snack at any time of day and is also great in salads.

Usage: Delicious eaten as a snack or in salads.

JONAGOLD
Jonagold is a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, offering a unique tangy sweet flavor. With a yellow green base and a blush stripe, Jonagold is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.

Usage: Excellent for eating fresh and for cooking.

CAMEO
The Cameo® has a pleasantly sweet-tart flavor and firm texture, with creamy, red-striped skin. It is an excellent dessert apple.

It was discovered as a chance seedling in the orchard of Darrel Caudle of Dryden, WA in the 1980s. Caudle and other Washington apple growers recognized that the unique flavor and firmness of this new apple would appeal to consumers.

They patented the variety and trademarked the name. Cameo® is now being propagated throughout the apple industry and is an up and coming variety.

Usage: An excellent dessert apple or tasty on-the-go snack.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Delicious in its name says it all for the Golden Delicious. A favorite snacking apple, the firm white flesh of the Golden Delicious retains its shape and rich mellow flavor when baked or cooked, making it the preferred all purpose cooking apple. Its skin is so tender and thin that it does not require peeling for most recipes.

Usage: Excellent for eating fresh or cooking.

RED DELICIOUS
One of America's favorites. It's a five star snacking apple, with a sweet, juicy and mild flavor.

Known for its deep ruby skin and a classic heart shape, the Red Delicious was discovered as a chance seedling in 1870 by Jesse Hiatt and has been widely bred and produced since then.

Usage: Delicious eaten as a snack or in salads.

HONEY CRISP
What's in a name? Plenty when it comes to the Honey crisp. Like the name, Honey Crisp is sweet like honey (with a touch of tart) and super crisp. The Honey Crisp has a complex sweet-tart flavor and is growing in popularity with its crunch, texture, juiciness and mildly aromatic flavor.

Usage: Snacks, salads and cooking.

BRAEBURN
Braeburn Apples have a high impact flavor. The crisp, aromatic Braeburn blends sweetness and tartness that is just right for snacks and salads. Its color varies from greenish-gold with red sections to nearly solid red.

Usage: Great for snacks and salads.

GRANNY SMITH
Bright green Granny packs mouthwatering tartness, a crisp bite and tangy flavor. Its tart flavor really comes through when baked and sauteéd.

Usage: Enjoy Granny Smiths as a snack or in a salad. Excellent for cooking.