SC - Dried Currants

[Christine Krebs-Bonder]

Having lived in England for 6 years, I believe the currants in most British
recipes are either redcurrants or blackcurrants which are small berries grown on
bushed rather than grapes. The Zante raisins were packeaged and labelled as such.
For some reason, many states in the U.S. prohibit the importation of
blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries. I'm still trying to find out why I
can't order a blackcurrant plant from a nursery in Washington State and have them
send it to me in Ohio. The Dept. of Agriculture extension office has promised to
find out why for me but I haven't heard anything yet.

Lady Edlyn/Christine

LrdRas at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 2/26/99 6:54:56 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> snowfire at mail.snet.net writes:
>
> << I wonder if the currants we use in recipes in Britain also Zante raisins?>>
>
> Since I am not in Britain, I can't say. I don't know about British law but USA
> law insures that the contents of the box are what they say they are. If you
> look closely on the box of dried currants that you find in major supermarkets,
> you will find somewhere the word 'Zante". At least here we still use the term
> currant, commercially, to mean the Zante raisin which is the raysons of
> courance spolen of in medieval recipes.
>
> << Also, where do sultanas fit into all of this?>>
>
> Sultanas are lg white grapes that have been dried. You also have regular dark
> raisins and then Zante currants (raisins, use the term of your choice) which
> are made from a small grape  native to the island of Corinth (those grapes are
> a tab bit smaller than what are known as 'champagne' grapes).
>
> Other than the fact that raisins of Corinth and Sultananas are both made from
> grape varieties, they have nothing in common.
>
>  <<Elysant >>
>
> Ras
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