Cherry is more than just a garnish!

The first thing that comes up in people mind if they heard about Cherry, it’s a fruit that usually used for a garnish! And yeah, it’s true. But then, let’s take a look. This small, juicy, ruby red color, and it has a mini cute shape, it’s more than just a garnish. It’s more than just make your favorite dishes become beautiful, looks sweet, attractive and full colors, but also behind its delicious taste, Cherry also health!

Historically, in 72 BC Cherry was brought to Rome from Anatolia, around region named Giresun (Cerasus) which nowadays is well known as Turkey. The word cherry is taken from its origin, Cerasus. Based on its species, Cherry has several kinds which are they are edible and inedible (it may cause illness). Such as, Sweet Cherry and Sour Cherry, But then, don’t worry; most species of cherries are edible. the cherries what we often find in supermarkets, cake shops, or ice creams, they are edible and health. This fruits grows well in a country which has four seasons, especially in Europe and several part of Asia. Irrigation, spaying, labor and their propensity in damage from rain, wind and hail make this fruits are relative expensive. Nonetheless, there is a high demand for the fruits.

What most widely consumed and used from varies species of cherries, they are Wild Cherry or commonly named as Sweet Cherry and Sour Cherry or Black Cherry.

Wild Cherry – Sweet Cherry

The main characteristic of this fruit is from we can identify it form its color. Sweet cherry has a reddish and shiny color. This fruits usually used as garnish both for foods or drinks because it gives additional value towards the presentation of the food and drinks. The taste is sweet and its texture of the flesh is smooth. Sweet cherry is usually sale fermented in sugar syrup in a tin package or freshly in a plastic packaging. Sugar syrup will seal the texture and quality of products is remaining fresh.

Sour Cherry – Black Cherry

As the name itself, we can easily identify black cherry also from its skin color. The skin color of Sour Cherry is darker that sweet cherry. It’s darker than maroon and it has a shiny color too. This fruits are usually used for cooking and to be fermented for a liquor production. If it’s compare to sweet cherry, this fruit has a thicker and set texture, so the shape will not easily break during the cooking process. As the name, sour cherry’s taste is sourer than sweet cherry. This fruit is good for filling a puff pastry or chocolate pralines. Like grape also, the skin of sour cherry also help for the fermentation in Cherry liquor production, Kirshwasser. But then through a several step distillation and final fermentation, this liquor has clear color but definitely strong aroma of cherry rum. This liquor is good to be mixed as a cocktail or to be added in Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (traditional Swiss Black Forest cake) for a special aroma.

For health reasons, cherries give a lot of benefits. They are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, boron, and minerals that contribute to bone health. The red colors of the skin come from the same pigment like what we can find in grape skins, which is good to reduce heart disease. Another desirable trait is that cherries rate low on calories and glycemic index that can stimulate into raised of blood sugar levels, so it’s approved that cherries can reduce diabetes and heart risk factors.

Cherries are really delicious for a healthy food! What do you think, huh?

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