They are one of my favorite fruits, I had often wondered if they were named in honor of crooner Bing Crosby. A sad but interesting history behind the beloved cherry.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bing-cherry
I didn't know this, either. I had to look up the cherries that are typically used in cocktails and ice cream sundaes, and those are usually Maraschino cherries.
shareWere Maraschino cherries named after a person or region of a country? I love them with ham. They are good with dairy treats as well.
shareLooking this up, I started going in circles :)
Maraschino cherries get their name from Maraschino liqueur, an Italian spirit distilled from Marasca cherries. The Marasca cherry (a type of Morello cherry) would be sweetened in a process using the liqueur to make them Maraschino cherries. Nowadays various base cherries are used, such as the Royal Ann, and various manufacturing methods not using the liqueur. Marasca appears to be a Croatian name possibly of Italian origin, but I can't really nail down what it refers to.
I recall reading somewhere the cherries originated in Italy, but I was not positive.
shareOne thing I will admit is that they are great when it comes to treating gout.
shareI heard that, but what exactly is gout?
shareIt's like a arthritis that flames up for a few days. I had a boss with it. It would hit him and he'd be limping for a week. He said it felt like walking on a bunch of needles
shareOnce known as the "disease of kings" as it was believed that it was brought about by overindulgence in food and alcohol, gout is one of the oldest joint diseases known to humans, first described as far back as 2640 B.C. As stated above it a form of arthritis, and from what I have been told can be incredibly painful.
share