Cherry

Origin / Growing regions:
The original home of the wild cherry is Eurasia. Today, some 400 cultivated varieties are grown in moderate climate zones all over the world. In Europe, where 75 percent of the world’s cherries are harvested, cherries grow in the entire region from Turkey to southern Sweden.

Description:
Cherries belong to the group of stone fruits. They grow on both low- and high-stem trees, the latter of which reach heights of up to 20 metres.

Fruit:
The yellow to dark-red, nearly black fruits range in shape from round to oval.

Flavour:
Cherries have either a sweet, aromatic (sweet cherries) or sour taste (sour cherries). There is also a hybrid form, known as the bastard cherry. The pulp varies from yellow to dark-red and (in the ripe stage) is either hard or soft, depending on the specific variety.

Distinctive characteristics:
Cherries are rich in phosphorus and iron as well as vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C. The results of recent research also call attention to high concentrations of antioxidants.