Red Currants

Since most of us are trying to follow through with the common New Year’s resolution of losing weight, I might as well post about a gorgeous fruit that I had an opportunity to sample in Switzerland—the red currant.


Though quite similar in taste and texture to a lightly sour raspberry, the glistening, shining surface of the tart orb is more comparable to the skin of a tender blueberry. Red currants are endowed with woody stems on their navels and their semi-translucent bodies are filled with a nucleus of tiny, hardened seeds that may lodge deep within the crevices of your molars. They come in grape-like clusters, dangling like heavy beads suspended on a wisteria branch. The tiny globe-shaped currants easily burst in your mouth and the sweet pulp will stain your eager lips. When red currants are deemed too sour for raw consumption, they are often used in fruit preserves, berry tarts, syrupy glazes, or even in yogurts or to be steeped in teas. I guarantee that one taste will have you requesting more!