Cherry

Another relative of the rose, the cherry comes in sweet, sour, and sweet-sour varieties. Cherries have been growing wild since prehistoric times in Europe, Asia and North America and it seems likely their distant mutual ancestor came originally from western Asia. Germany and the United States are major producers, along with France, with Kent, England, too, famously connected with both cherries and hops.

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This unusual pair combines to create one of Belgium’s finest beers, Kriek Lambik, a cherry flavored brew.

As well as the fruit, cherries also have attractive flowers, and they are commonly planted for their flower display in spring; several of the Asian cherries are particularly noted for their flower display. The Japanese sakura in particular are a national symbol celebrated in the yearly Hanami festival. Many flowering cherry cultivars (known as 'ornamental cherries') have the stamens and pistils replaced by additional petals ("double" flowers), so are sterile and do not bear fruit. They are grown purely for their flowers and decorative value. The most common of these sterile cherries is the cultivar 'Kanzan'.

Cherry Pie

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