The sweet fruits were not always native to our latitudes. You can find out more about the origin of the cherry and its journey to Europe here.
Cherries (Prunus) are indispensable, especially in the summertime. Many probably remember happy childhood days of climbing cherry trees, picking the sweet red pearls and holding a cherry stone spitting contest. But grandma's delicious cherry jam and delicious red fruit jelly are two real cherry classics that are still enjoyed today. But the cherry has not always been at home in our Central European latitudes - in fact, the well-known fruit has even come a long way.
What is the origin of the cherry?
The actual homeland of the cherry is in Asia Minor in what is now Turkey. Already 74 BC A Roman general named Lucius Licinius Lucullus (117 BC; † 56 BC) brought the dark red fruit from the port city of Kerasus back to Italy. The ancestors of today's sweet cherries (Prunus avium) are said to have lived around this city, which is located in north-eastern Turkey directly on the Black Sea and is now called Giresun, since 400 BC. to have been cultivated. In fact, researchers found stones of the bird cherry (Prunus avium subsp. avium), the archetype of today's sweet cherry, in settlements from the Stone Age - that's what the cherry counts for one of the oldest fruit plants in our history.
The cherry owes its name to its origin in the city of Kerasus - and that in many languages. For example, it is called “cereza” in Spanish, “cerise” in French and “kiraz” in Turkish. Even the German word "Kirsche" can be traced back to the name of the port city at that time.
The exact origin of the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), on the other hand, is largely unknown: Nowadays it is assumed that it is a hybrid of the wild cherry with a steppe cherry ( Prunus fruticosa), which probably also comes from Asia Minor or the Balkans.
Since when has the cherry been found all over Europe?
When the cherry finally arrived in Italy, it slowly spread throughout the European continent. Due to the massive influence of the Romans and their huge sphere of influence, the spread of the fruit was particularly favorable. Today, the cherry has conquered almost the whole world with its exquisite taste and will hopefully enchant us again this summer with sweet experiences.
Which varieties were first found in Europe?
From the 16th century, both sweet and sour cherries were widespread throughout Germany and over time split into numerous varieties and regional variations. In the 19th century, 600 different varieties are said to have existed for sweet cherries alone. Unfortunately, many of these original varieties can no longer be found today. One of the oldest surviving cherry varieties is the 'Big Black Knartle Cherry', which was first mentioned in 1540 and comes from France. It is still one of the most popular cherry varieties today - it is also still cultivated in Germany. The ‘earliest of the marks’ was also mentioned as early as 1794, making it one of the oldest cherry varieties in Germany. Due to its particularly early maturity, it has the special honor of serving as the starting variety of the cherry week and thus heralding the cherry season. One of the oldest cherries native to Germany is 'Büttner's red cartilage cherry', which was described as early as 1795.
In the case of sour cherries, on the other hand, the 'Schattenmorelle' is not only a popular, but also a tried and tested classic - the cherry, which originally comes from France, was described as early as 1650. The 'Red May Cherry', which is said to have existed since the 19th century, has survived in Germany to this day thanks to its refreshing sweet and sour taste, even if it is only rarely cultivated. Another, albeit somewhat younger cherry originating from Germany is 'Heimanns Rubinweichsel' - the variety from 1920 is still popular today, especially because of its resistance to the Monilia disease.