The Beginning of the End for “Artificial” Fruit?

The truth about PBR varieties, the Fresh Market phenomenon, and why choosing the right one is literally a science

In discussions we often encounter a nostalgia that old varieties are the tastiest and that modern breeding produces only “artificial”, flavourless yet visually perfect fruit for supermarkets. For many years this was a harsh truth. Today, however, a huge revolution is taking place in the world of professional fruit growing, one that is changing the rules of the game across the globe.

Let us take a brief look together at what PBR varieties are, what the “Fresh Market” phenomenon means, and why not every PBR variety is automatically a guarantee of great flavour. Choosing the right modern variety for your garden has today become a genuine pomological science.

What exactly is PBR, and why is it NOT a guarantee of flavour?

PBR stands for Plant Breeders' Rights. Put simply, it is a patent on a plant. Developing a new variety often takes 15 to 25 years and costs enormous sums of money. Anyone who propagates such a tree must pay the breeder a licence fee.

But this is where the biggest myth arises: many people believe that if a variety has a trademark (PBR / ®), it must automatically be wonderful to eat. Wrong!

In order for the European office (CPVO) or the US patent office to grant a variety a patent, the plant must pass so-called DUS testing (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability). The office examines whether an apple has a different shade of red, whether a plum yields more heavily, or whether it flowers three days later. In the patent itself, flavour is mentioned only marginally, in general terms, and usually with a single word. As an example, here is an extract from a blueberry patent describing the fruit:

That is why there are hundreds of PBR varieties patented purely because they are ideal for mechanical harvesting or can survive a month in a lorry, yet are below average in flavour. And this is precisely where our work begins – the in-depth study of scientific papers, pomological registers, and laboratory tests (such as measuring sugar content in degrees Brix). Our selection of PBR varieties is strictly filtered. From the heap of patents we choose only those that belong to the “Fresh Market” category.

The Russian school of breeding: why the tasting score (up to 5.0) is the alpha and omega of their fruit growing

If you have ever read Russian pomological registers or variety descriptions, you will certainly have noticed one specific figure that you will not find in the West: the tasting score (degustatsionnaya otsenka). It is usually a number between 4.0 and 5.0. What exactly does it mean, why is it stated, and why is the Russian approach to registering varieties so different?

The scale up to 5.0: how does it work?

In Russia (and in many countries of the former Soviet Union) the assessment of flavour is a mandatory and standardised part of state variety trials. While in the West flavour is left to the judgement of the market and marketing, in Russia it is assessed by a state commission of experts (tasters). It is rated on a 5-point scale, evaluating not only sweetness itself but the complete profile: the harmony of sugars and acids, aroma, the consistency of the flesh, and the thickness of the skin.

← Swipe the table sideways →

There is a small catch here too – taste preferences. In Russia, for example, sweet-and-sour gooseberries are popular, so purely sweet gooseberries regularly receive lower tasting scores.

Why does Russia differ so much from the West? (Historical context)

This differing approach has deep historical and geographical roots.

The “Fresh Market” phenomenon (a return to flavour)

In the 1980s and 1990s the world was ruled by the dictate of supermarkets, and breeding was aimed at shelf life. Today, however, consumers have rebelled and refuse to buy flavourless fruit. The Fresh Market – the market for premium fresh fruit – was born. Using DNA analysis, breeders now combine genes for firmness with genes for high sugar content and specific aromatic profiles.

Where is FLAVOUR currently the absolute priority? (Top Fresh Market crops)

Where is flavour (for now) on the back burner? (Industrial crops)

West vs. East: so where is the truth, and what is best?

After reading the lines above, it might seem that everything Western is “artificial” and everything Eastern is perfect. That would be a huge mistake. The truth is that there is no single perfect school of breeding. Every region has its absolute gems, but also its flops.

Summary

Seeing the PBR or ® mark on a variety does not mean you are buying the tastiest fruit in the world. It only means you are buying modern, patented genetics. And that is precisely why we spend months studying scientific papers, pomological tables, and laboratory results. Our goal is to filter out of that vast sea of American and European patents the real Fresh Market gems, where breeders have combined modern resilience with an explosive, unforgettable flavour.

While Western PBR patents guarantee us modern genetics, resilience, and yield, the Russian tasting score gives us something often missing in the West – an official, state-guaranteed assessment of flavour. When we select varieties from Eastern Europe for you, this number is one of our most important compasses. We are not looking only for frost hardiness; we are looking for varieties that, in strict tasting trials, come close to the magical threshold of 5.0. Because a garden should, above all, be about the joy of flavour.

Why am I writing all this?

Because I want you to know that behind every single variety I recommend, or that you find in our selections, there is no chance involved. It is not about opening a catalogue and pointing at a photo. Behind it lie hundreds of hours of reading scientific studies, browsing Russian pomological registers, analysing American PBR patents, reading Romanian phytosanitary tests, comparing tasting scores, and finally verifying the information against real life on discussion forums.

My goal is not to push the West, the East, or the South. My goal is to take the best of all worlds – American crispness, Italian size, Russian frost hardiness, Latvian sweetness, and Romanian drought tolerance.

Because at the end of the day, it does not matter whether a variety has an American patent, a Russian tasting score of 5.0, or Romanian drought tolerance. All that matters is whether that tree brings you joy and a dessert harvest you will eat with relish. And that is exactly what we are striving for together here.