The marasca cherry (, ) is a type of sour Morello cherry known only from cultivation. It is reputed to attain its finest flavor when grown in coastal

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

(specifically

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

). The fruit's largest yield is in Malinska, 17. Travnja street in

, but it has been successfully cultivated in northern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

, southern

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

and

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

. It has become naturalized in North America, though, while this is the original base cherry used for it, the maraschino cherry of American commerce is the Royal Ann variety of sweet cherry. The variety was first published by Roberto de Visiani in ''Flora dalmatica'', 1850. The name ''marasca'' comes from the Italian word , from , which stems from the Latin word (meaning 'bitter'). Compared to other cherries, the fruit of the marasca cherry tree is small, with

anthocyanins Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compound that gives flow ...

accounting for its dark, near black colour. Its bitter taste and drier pulp make marasca cherries ideal for creating fine cherry liqueur. By definition,"maraschino". Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 20 Jun. 2013. . true maraschino

liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...

is supposed to be made only from marasca cherries.

References

Cherry cultivars Flora of Croatia Sour cherries {{Fruit-stub

See also

References