Letter: The apple of a Frenchman's eye

Sir: Your article on English apples (Magazine; "Squeezed till the pippins squeak", 22 April) reminded me of when I lived in Paris in the late 1950s.

In one of the big street markets, I discovered an apple stall from which an orchard owner sold his own produce. I recognised only one of the varieties on sale. They were Coxes and they were the cheapest. I asked the stallholder why the best apple on his stall was the cheapest. He agreed it was the best, but said that his French customers rated it low because it was not beautiful to look at.

They like apples all of one colour. Alas, it seems that that is what we are all supposed to like.

Yours sincerely,

FRANCES WILDE

Carmarthen,

Dyfed

24 April