THE SOUR CHERRY TREE

In local dialect “la marena”

Prunus cerasus var. amarena L.
Rosaceae

🍒 THE SOUR CHERRY, A BITTER-SWEET FRUIT

The sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family, which also includes cherry trees, peach trees and almond trees. This variety of sour cherry tree differs from the sweet cherry tree (Prunus avium), and it includes various cultivars, such as the sour cherry, the wild cherry and the marasca cherry. The sour cherry tree produces small, white flowers with five petals, and they bloom in spring, releasing a fragrant scent. Its fruits are round-shaped drupes, bright red in colour with a juicy pulp that is both sweet and sour.

  • The sour cherry tree (Prunus cerasus) is widely appreciated for its distinctive taste halfway between sweet and sour.
  • It is commonly used in syrups and liqueurs.
  • Its name derives properly from the fruit’s tart taste. This is reflected in both English and Italian. In Italian, “amareno” is derived from “amaro”, meaning “bitter.”

🎭HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL FACTS

  • The Romans were fond of sour cherries! The historian Pliny the Elder notes that these cherries were introduced to Italy from Asia Minor, and they were cultivated for their juice.
  • Sour and wild cherries are used in renowned desserts, such as the German Black Forest cake and traditional Italian tarts.
  • – Gabriele D’Annunzio, a famous Italian author, was fond of sour cherries!

🍒 GIUSEPPE UNGARETTI – “L’AMARENA”

In 1974, Giuseppe Ungaretti, a famous Italian poet, wrote a poem called L’amarena (literally The Sour Cherry)

“Chiuso fra cose mortali
(anche il cielo stellato finirà)
perché bramo Dio?”

 

Literally, this poem can be translated as:
“Enclosed by mortal things
(Even the starry sky will come to an end)
Why do I yearn for God?”

In this poem, Ungaretti links the sour cherry to an intense yearning for infinity and sweetness in a world that is destined to end.

🍒 DIFFERENZE TRA AMARENO, VISCIOLO E CILIEGIO

FEATURES

SOUR CHERRY TREE

WILD CHERRY TREE

SWEET CHERRY TREE

Species

Prunus Cerasus

Prunus Cerasus

Prunus Avium

Taste

Sweet and sour

Sourer and intense

Sweet and sugary

Colour

Bright red

Dark red, leaning toward black

Bright red, or yellow (Ferrovia variety)

Texture

Soft, juicy pulp

Very soft, juicy pulp

More solid and crunchy

Main uses

Liqueurs, syrups and jams

Jams, cakes/tarts and preserves

Fresh consumption

🍃Do you think they are not so different?

Come and visit us to learn how to recognize them!😊🌿

These contents were written and researched by the owners of the SiGi Agricultural Company in collaboration with the students of the Agricultural Technical Institute of Macerata.

If you would like to contribute to expanding the descriptions of these varieties, you can send an e-mail to info@agricolasigi.it 

We launched the e-museum of ancient fruits thanks to a social farming project of the Marche region.  The translation is by komalingua

This project enabled five young people with cognitive impairments, aged 20 to 25, to work on the farm. They were selected by psychologists and Anffas social workers, supported by the professional educator Il Faro and supervised by UniMc researchers. Coldiretti Marche handled communication and distribution.

This unique and challenging project led to the creation of both a physical and virtual museum of ancient fruits in SiGi’s garden. This is not only a great honor but also a significant commitment that we are willing to continue with everyone’s support. You can contribute to our projects by choosing our products, or you can do so directly here:

 

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