South African shoppers can now discover Cosmic Crisp™, a premium apple variety with a crisp, juicy bite and balanced sweet-tart flavour, available exclusively at selected Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores nationwide. 

Originally developed by Washington State University in the US, Cosmic Crisp™ has become one of the world's fastest-growing new apple varieties. Following initial plantings in 2022, growers in Grabouw and Ceres in the Western Cape are now bringing the inaugural South African crop to market. 

The apple takes its name from the pale skin pores, otherwise known as lenticels, scattered across its deep-red skin, which resemble stars against a night sky. 

One of Cosmic Crisp's most distinctive characteristics is its ability to resist browning once cut, making it ideal for lunchboxes, salads and snacks prepared ahead of time. Developed from a cross between the Enterprise and Honeycrisp varieties, it also retains its crisp texture during storage and can be enjoyed fresh, sliced, baked, cooked or juiced. 

“Red and blush apples account for around 60% of our apple sales, making them a clear favourite among our customers. After tasting Cosmic Crisp™ in the US, we recognised its potential for the South African market. It combines the sweetness, juiciness and crisp texture shoppers already enjoy with the added benefit of staying fresher for longer once cut, making it a distinctive addition to our apple range.”

- Quintin Paladin, General Manager of Freshmark, Checkers’ fruit and vegetable procurement and distribution arm

Cosmic Crisp™ joins Checkers' growing range of exclusive fruit varieties, including Pink Lemons, Finger Limes, The Alizza Fruit™ and award-winning ONIX™ citrus, sourced through global partnerships that introduce innovative products to South African shoppers and help drive growth in the category. 

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