Jim Carlock wrote:
............................
It's possible that the best apples are sold to Japan or
other countries? I imagine the best go to places that
get the best prices......................


I don't think there is a huge number of apples exported out of the US to
Japan but certainly some are. They probably are the better ones.

I remember reading an article many years ago about the apples grown in
Chili. They Export apples to the US, Europe, and Japan. An interviewer
was talking to an apple grower. They were looking at a bunch of
beautiful perfect looking apples. (sorry, I have no memory of which
varieties were being discussed.) The interviewer asked if those were
being shipped to Europe. The answer was "no, those have no flavor, they
will be going to the US".
The quote from the Chilean grower that makes me remember the whole thing
is: "People in Europe taste their apples with their mouth. Americans
seem to only taste apples with their eyes." That tells the whole story.

Steve