Genevieve Yam: What Happened to The Honeycrisps?

The Banter

The Guys talk about the drive of hospitality and it isn’t what some folks say it is. 

The Conversations

The Restaurant Guys welcome writer Genevieve Yam to discuss the decline in quality of Honeycrisp apples. Genevieve, who has investigated this issue, shares what happened and how we can keep other varieties from following suit.

The Inside Track

The Guys have been fans of Honeycrisp apples since the 1990s and even gave them as birthday gifts. Genevieve’s article about the apple’s origin, rise and “crapification” intrigued them so they had Genevieve on to tell them about it.

“Dr. David Bedford and Dr. Jim Luby, two scientists working at the University of Minnesota's fruit breeding program came across a tree that was actually slated for the trash. Bedford was extremely curious about this tree. He thought that it had not been given a fair chance and decided to do a little bit of research and what he did changed the course of apple history because what would have ended up in the trash ultimately has become one of the most popular apple varieties here in the United States,” Genevieve Yam on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025

Bio

Genevieve Yam is a writer and editor based in New York. After graduating with a degree in politics and a brief stint in the start-up world, she enrolled in the International Culinary Center in New York City and cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Per Se.  After that, she became a freelance food stylist, a recipe tester and editor for the new edition of The Essential New York Times Cookbook, a personal chef, and a contributor to various publications. Most recently, she was an editor at Epicurious. Genevieve is currently an editor at Serious Eats, where she writes, edits, and develops recipes.

Info

Genevieve’s Honeycrisp article

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-honeycrisp-apples-went-from-marvel-to-mediocre

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