Raisins, Part III

So, raisin names.  What's in a name?  That which we call a raisin by any other name would taste as sweet.  Let's start by going back to the bit about sultanas.

Sultana, Sultana, wherefore art thou Sultana?  ("wherefore" meaning "why," of course*).  Turns out that the name sultana, which can refer to either the grape or the raisin made from said grape, has origins in the Ottoman empire.  The grapes were supposedly favored by Sultans and were subsequently given a name of distinction.

Because of the early usage of "sultana," it's no wonder that much of the world still uses the name in addition to, or even instead of, the term "raisin."  For example, head down under and you'll find sultanas to be the mainstay of everyone's favorite Kellogg's cereal:

Sultana Bran!  Complete with awkward advertising campaign!

So if "Sultana" is so prevalent, where did the term raisin come from?  Seems that, amongst other roots, it's taken from the Latin racimus, meaning a cluster of grapes or berries.  But raisin, on it's own, can be vague in the U.S.  It's perfectly acceptable to call raisins sultanas in order to differentiate them from two other popular raisins: the red flame and the Zante currant.

The red flame raisin is simple to explain.  This is a raisin made from red flame grapes.  Adding sulfites to these won't create golden raisins because the grapes are dark to begin with; there is no color to preserve.

Zante Currants are typically just known as Currants.  That name is all fine and dandy in the U.S., where we don’t know much about red, black, or white currants.  However, the rest of the world is more culturally aware of the currant variety currently available, and so the name Zante is used to distinguish the fourth “currant.”

Zante Currants are really just small raisins derived from small grapes.  The grapes used for currants are sometimes known as “champagne grapes.”  This name is a bit dubious, however, because these grapes are never used to make champagne.  The name probably just refers to the grapes ability to explode out of a glass bottle when pointed at your face... or maybe just the similarity between the small grape and the fine carbonation of champagne.  Either way.

The word "currant" is derived from the root "Corinth."  This refers to the Black Corinth grape, originally hailing from Corinth, Greece.  "Currant" became used to refer to other types of similar small berries, which is why red, white, and black currants share the name.

(Incidentally, blackcurrant, also known by the French cassis, is my favorite fruit flavor ever.  It's a rare find in the U.S., because blackcurrant plants can harbor diseases that would destroy certain indigenous American trees.  It's too bad, really, because I hate having to pay an arm and a leg just for a bottle of Ribena squash.)

I had intended to conclude the raisin trilogy sooner by presenting a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies.  However, I have yet to be satisfied with the recipe I've been tinkering with, so this shall have to wait.  Until then, thanks for reading!


*It's true.  Juliet's not asking where Romeo is, but why he is named Romeo.  The balcony scene context supports this, as well as other instances of the term "wherefore" throughout the play.  But this is not a blog on textual analysis ;)