“Prunus avium”, is the fruit from the cherry tree, a tree from the Rosaceae family and though its exact geographical origin is not known, it is believed to originate in Asia Minor and that the Greeks and Romans were responsible for its expansion around the world.
Spain is no stranger to cherry expansion, as its total production for the 2021 season was 101,139 tons, according to Alimente+.
In this way, a report from the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), which depends upon the United States Department of Agriculture, shows that world production of this red delicious fruit, will reach 4 million tons in the 2021-22 season, with Spain contributing 102 thousand tons of fruit.
There are many varieties, and the names are due to the place they come from, their ripening time, pollination and blooming.
Jesús Martín, director of the company Deleite Granada in the Valley of Jerte, indicated, “in Spain more than one hundred varieties are produced in Spain, although growers focus their selection on around 50, which logically, are the most commercial and profitable”.
Furthermore, the businessman added that “the most delicious cherry is the one that reaches the best degree of sweetness, and this, is achieved through hours of product insolation”.
It is worth mentioning that in Granadanada there are also cherry-growing regions, in the Lecrín Valley and in the foothills of Sierra Nevada. Marketed under the Cherries of Güéjar Sierra trademark, they are the Hudson variety and the altitude and water from Sierra Nevada gives them a sweet flavor and a crunchy texture.