Cherries are the fruit of many different trees, which are stone fruits, or drupes, that have a fleshy exterior and a stone inside. Although there are many different types of cherry, many of which may bear fruit, those that are actually eaten come from a fairly limited number of species, which usually are cultivars of the sweet cherry, although the sour cherry, which is used in cooking, provides a number of cultivars.
Cherries grow throughout Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. The fruit itself has been consumed since prehistoric times, although these would have been from wild trees rather than cultivated ones. The name comes from the Greek name of a town in what is now northern Turkey where the first cultivated cherries may have come from. Today, Turkey is still the largest producer of both sweet and sour cherries.
Cherries can be eaten raw and are also used in cooking and as a flavouring. The cherry itself does not contain much in the way of nutrients.
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