Mary Allen
Currants are small berries that are mainly harvested in Europe. The berries are at their ripest at the end of June when it is St. John’s Day. That’s where the name comes from. In Switzerland, they are also called “Meertauli” and in Austria “Ribiseln”. This comes from the name of the genus, “Ribes” in the Latin language.
Currants grow on bushes. They taste a bit sour, but they also contain a lot of vitamins C and B. This makes them healthy food.
Many delicious dishes can be made from currants, such as jam, juice, or jelly. The jelly is often used as an accompaniment to game dishes. Currants are also suitable for many desserts such as ice cream or cakes. There they are extremely decorative. In addition, there is even wine made from currants. If you freeze them freshly picked, you can keep currants for a very long time.
In biology, currants form a genus. There are different types of this. The most important is the red and black currants. But they are also available in white. Above the genus is the plant family. This includes the gooseberries. So gooseberries and currants are closely related.