Development

Apples have traditionally been the most important cash crop in Washington. By the 1920s, the state had become the leading producer of the fruit in the United States. In 2003, Washington produced more apples than the rest of the United States combined.^[4] In the early 20th century Armenian immigrants Armen Tertsagian and Mark Balaban, proprietors of an apple orchard in Cashmere, Washington, began producing Aplets as a way of disposing of their surplus crop; the idea for the candy came from their faint recollections of eating Turkish delight as children. Aplets were followed, several years later, with Cotlets. The candies were originally sold at a roadside fruit stand but gained greater attention in 1962 as a result of the Seattle World's Fair.^[5][6]

Manufactured versions of the candy are limited to those produced by Liberty Orchards of Cashmere, Tertsagian and Balaban's original company. According to the firm, there is "not a huge market" for the product outside Washington, though in the late 1990s the company began limited retailing at national chain stores such as Target (the bulk of Aplet & Cotlet sales prior to this had been in local retailers like Frederick & Nelson, Bartell Drugs, and Pay 'n Save, and through its mail-order catalog). Despite their obscurity nationally, they are available at many farmstead style shops west of the Rocky Mountains. Recipes for homemade versions also exist.^[7][8][9]

Liberty Orchards announced that they would cease operations in June 2021 after an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer for the company.^[10] The company was sold to KDV Group, a Russian food conglomerate, allowing for production to continue.^[11]

Official status

In 2009, members of the Washington State Legislature attempted to designate Aplets & Cotlets the "official candy of the state of Washington".^[12] The measure faced opposition from some who felt Almond Roca or Mountain Bar should receive the honor instead.^[13] In its report on the measure, the House of Representatives' Committee on Government and Tribal Affairs claimed that designating the candy as the state's official candy would help strengthen unity between the state's two geo-cultural regions, explaining that Aplets & Cotlets "represents the goal of one Washington – Eastern Washington where much of the fruit is grown and Western Washington where products use transportation links to get to market".^[14] The bill ultimately failed to pass in 2009 and after a re-introduction in 2010.^[15]