Zante currant

Raisin de Corinthe

What it is

The English word currant is a worn-down raisins of Corinth, the medieval trade name for these tiny dried grapes shipped out of the Greek port. The blackcurrant borrowed the name in the 1570s, because the new northern berry looked like them — the grape came first, not the bush.

In the kitchen

Soak them ten minutes in warm water, rum or verjuice and drain well before folding them into a dough; dry ones pull water out of the crumb and scorch on the crust. Toss them in a spoonful of the flour so they stay suspended instead of sinking.

Goes with

Butter T55 flour Dark rum Nutmeg Lemon Pine nut Spinach

Same species

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP Amontillado Armagnac Banyuls Brandy de Jerez Champagne vinegar

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us