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.
Especially in the summertime the cherry (prunus) simply indispensable. Many probably still remember happy days in childhood when you could look at cherry trees climbed, picked the sweet red pearls, and held a cherry stone-spitting contest hosted. 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 Chr. brought a Roman general named Lucius Licinius Lucullus (117 BC. BC; † 56 BC Chr.) the dark red fruit from the port city of Kerasus back to Italy. The ancestors of today's sweet cherries (
Prunus avium) already since 400 BC. Chr. to have been cultivated. In fact, researchers found stones of wild cherry (Prunus avium subsp. avium), the archetype of today's sweet cherry, in settlements from the Stone Age - making the cherry 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 so 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 cross between wild cherry and steppe cherry (Prunus fruticosa), which probably also comes from Asia Minor or the Balkans.
Since when has the cherry been found everywhere in Europe?
When the cherry finally arrived in Italy, it slowly spread from there 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 excellent taste and hopefully will enchant us again this summer with sweet experiences.
Which varieties were first found in Europe?
From the 16th In the 19th century both sweet and sour cherries were widespread throughout Germany and over time split into numerous varieties and regional variations. With the sweet cherries alone, in the 19th Century 600 different varieties have existed. 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 grown 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 cartilaginous cherry', which was described as early as 1795.
With the sour cherries, on the other hand, the 'Schattenmorelle' is not only a popular one, but also a tried and tested classic - as early as 1650 the cherry, which originally comes from France, described. The 'Red May Cherry', which has been around since the 19th It is said to have existed in the 19th century and 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, particularly because of its resistance to the Monilia disease cultivated.
