Cotton Candy Grapes

[weinoo]

Has anyone tried these?

From California's Grapery:

The first thing you need to know about Cotton Candy Grapes is that they are not the product of some underground frankenfood genetics laboratory functioning deep below the Iowa State Fair. The all-natural grapes are the result of plant-breeding, according to California's Grapery. The plant breeder offering up the treat says the Cotton Candy Grape was created by cross pollinating wild grape species—this is their first commercial harvest. But do they really taste like the puffy pink stuff of your childhood?

Story here.

[Mjx]

I'll be looking out for these to hit Denmark, but I don't really get the point: Cotton candy doesn't taste particularly good, it's one of those childhood disappointments that you tend to wilfully ignore, because it looks so cool, but the taste is just hyper-sweet with a faint backgroud bitterness from the food colouring.

I can't imagine anyone who actually likes grapes liking these, but looking at that article, it seems pretty clear that there are actual grownups who want their fruit staright-up sweet with nary note of acidity, so I guess these will be a hit..?

[rlibkind]

Iovine's Produce at Philly's Reading Terminal Market had these last year and again thus year. But at about $6/pound I'm not a buyer.

They don't taste like cotton candy to me, but they are a nice tasting grape. The flavor is more "musky" in the best sense, more like an American than European grape, I.e., concord rather than Thompson. But they're seedless and nicely sized.

[Toliver]

They're grown here locally. The grape grower bred them specifically for the flavor, which is odd, in my opnion, because cotton candy doesn't really have a flavor unless he's going for that warm/burnt sugar flavoring. Aren't grapes sweet enough without having to make them taste like sugar?

The grower has been test marketing them to see if there's any demand for them. They've been selling out here. The only place you can buy them here is in a local sweets shop/bakery. They're supposed to be seling for $5 per pound.

Edited to add, here's a link to a recent story on them from a local news station:

"Local company produces cotton candy grapes"

Edited August 15, 2013 by Toliver (log)

[rlibkind]

.

Edited to add, here's a link to a recent story on them from a local news station:

"Local company produces cotton candy grapes"

Tv news item confirms my taste impression of "musky" more like American than European grapes. Story said it's a hybrid of two wild grapes. Makes sense.

Edited August 20, 2013 by rlibkind (log)