An Apple A Day?

This week, “Kirkland apples” has become the phrase on every Harvardian produce consumer’s lips. Rumor has it that the apples in Kirkland dining hall are superior to those HUDS stocks everywhere else.

By Gregory B. Johnston

Upon Flyby investigation, the Kirkland apples sit attractively arranged in woven baskets in the Kirkland kitchen area. However, is it the actual apples or the magic of Kirkland d-hall that is causing this phenomenon?  The sampling of apples in Kirkland, according to an anonymous source, looked remarkably alike in quality and type, to the collection that source recalled spotting in Annenberg on many a morning.

“I wouldn’t know anything about the apples,” Kevin Hong ‘15 said. “I don’t eat them as I am allergic to apples.” Hong seemed admirably stoic for a man whose future is void of apple pie, apple sauce, and Apples to Apples.

“They’re okay,” Jasmine M. Omeke ‘14 offered. She wasn’t eating an apple and apple at the time of questioning.

At last Flyby spoke with a real expert, the “Apple Queen of Kirkland”: Lily H. Ostrer ‘14. Ostrer’s love of apples is so great, in fact, that she gave them up for Lent. It is rumored that she eats more Kirkland apples than the rest of Kirkland aggregated. Lily graciously shared her expertise with Flyby.

Flyby: So you gave apples up for Lent?

LHO: Yeah.

Flyby: So you must love apples then.

LHO: Yeah, I really love apples. For most people, apples aren’t a vice, but for me, they are. I eat like 10 apples a day.

Flyby: How do you feel about the quality of Kirkland’s apples?

LHO: I think in general Kirkland has pretty great apples. This year in particular, we’ve had some very good apples. Sometimes, they’re not quite as fresh as they appear, so when you bite into them, they might be a bit mealy. In general, though, we have really great apples. This year we started having Gala apples, which we haven’t had in previous years, and I particularly enjoy the Galas. There’s usually a good variety of a few different types of apples [here in Kirkland].

Flyby: If you could choose any variety of apple, that isn’t already in Kirkland, to add to the apple options, which would you choose?

LHO: I really like the Gala. I think we could have some more Macintosh, and also some Golden Delicious. [pauses thoughtfully] I’m really glad that we don’t have Red Delicious apples in Kirkland House, as I know some houses do, because they really aren’t as high a quality apple as the others.

Aaron J. Henricks ‘16 vehemently disagreed with Ostrer about about the alleged superiority of Kirkland’s apples. “I feel that’s totally false,” Henricks said. “I ate one of the best apples I’ve eaten in my lifetime in Quincy the other day, and it was so sweet, so juicy...that people in Dunster actually heard me eating it.” It seems that opinions vary greatly regarding the validity of this recent fruit fanaticism. And, by the way, have you heard about the oranges at Cabot?