Golden Delicious began as a chance seedling, perhaps of Grimes Golden , on a farmer's hillside near Bomont, West Virginia. Golden Delicious is not related to the red variety of that name. This is a very easy apple to like. The skin is thin; the flesh, firm and crisp and juicy. Flavor and aroma are unmistakable, without being particularly assertive. Even the shape is somewhat agreeable: large, tall and conical. Golden Delicious strikes some cooks as too timid for the kitchen, but it can be used for pies and sauce with little or no sugar. Its distinctive aroma carries over into cider. Golden Delicious should store well if refrigerated but the skin will shrivel if kept at room temperature.
Apple descriptions taken from Apples by Roger Yepsen (c.1994 , W.W. Norton & Company)