the fresh fruits which may be red, white, or black, have nothing to do with currants in the other sense (see raisins, sultanas, and currants), but belong to a separate genus of plants, Ribes, which also includes gooseberries. They are small, round berries which often retain, at the end opposite the stem, withered remnants of the flower from which they grew.
Wild currants, both red and black, grow worldwide in northern temperate regions. Cultivated species are virtually all derived from European and Asian types. Native American currants were used by Indian tribes, especially for making pemmican (preserved dried meat, fat, and fruit), but one of them, R. aureum, the golden currant, is so good that cultivars of it have been developed by a process of selection.
The redcurrant (Ribes rubrum, syn. R. sativum) was first mentioned in European literature in a German manuscript of the early 15th century. A drawing appears in the Mainz Herbarius of 1484. It was domesticated in Europe in the 16th century, mainly in the Netherlands and Denmark. There are many hybrids between these and other species. Wild redcurrants taste much the same as cultivated ones.
The whitecurrant, now relatively uncommon, is a variant which arises spontaneously in several redcurrant species.
In Britain redcurrants are essential for the making of at least one delicacy, summer pudding; and redcurrant jelly is a fine accompaniment for lamb and other meats. Redcurrant juice is a popular drink in and around Germany. Generally, the popularity of redcurrants is most noticeable in the northern parts of Europe, including Scandinavia.
In other parts of Europe, especially the far south, currants of whatever colour have never caught on. The most common Latin languages use the same name for ‘currant’ and ‘gooseberry’. Even when, in Paris in the 18th century, redcurrant juice became a fashionable drink, the fruit was known as groseille d'outre mer (overseas gooseberry). However, there is at least one exception to this general statement. Bar-le-Duc, a town in NE France, is known for its exquisite preserve made from redcurrants. The process for making this is exacting; it requires that the currants should be individually pierced with a quill to remove the seeds, before being boiled with sugar syrup and some redcurrant juice. (Similar preserves are made with whitecurrants or tiny strawberries. All may be served with cream cheese for dessert.)
The blackcurrant, R. nigrum, was first cultivated a century later than the red, and for a long time was considered to be distinctly inferior. Its flavour, though pleasant, lacks the brilliance of that of the redcurrant, especially when the fruit is raw. The original blackcurrants grew in N. Europe and in Asia as far east as the Himalayas. They have been crossed with other Asian species to produce the plants now cultivated.
Early uses in Britain were partly medicinal, as a cure for sore throats. The leaves were made into a tea said to have strengthening properties. Blackcurrants also became popular for jam and for making sorbet—and an ice flavoured with the leaves is also very successful, perhaps mirroring the Russian practice of using them to flavour kvass. In France the alcoholic cordial crème de cassis, made in the vicinity of Dijon in Burgundy from locally grown blackcurrants, won worldwide fame.
The discovery of vitamins at the beginning of the 20th century gave a boost to consumption of the blackcurrant, since it is outstandingly rich in vitamin C. Half a dozen blackcurrants have more of this than a large lemon. Blackcurrant juice is now widely used as a healthful drink.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
