What is the difference between cherries and cherry fruits, which differ in price by 5 times?

Every year when the Spring Festival is approaching, cherries are available in large quantities. They are beautiful, taste good, and are more expensive than most fruits. They often occupy the hot search position on the Internet.

However, the relationship between cherries and cherry leaves many people confused, and they don't know what the difference is. The price of cherries is more than ten times that of ordinary cherries, so are the nutrients also twice as good?

Don't scratch your head, in this article we will sort out the relationship between cherries and cherries, compare their nutritional value, and finally give you some purchasing suggestions.

What is the difference between cherries and cherries?

To explain this problem, we have to talk about the fruit trees of the subgenus Prunus in the genus Prunus of the Rosaceae family. Among the fruit trees of the subgenus Prunus, there are four main species that are cultivated on a large scale in the world, including Chinese cherry, European sweet cherry, European sour cherry and hairy cherry. Sweet cherry is mainly used for fresh food, Chinese cherry and hairy cherry can be eaten fresh or processed, and sour cherry is mainly used for processing jams, preserved fruits and canned foods.

① Chinese cherry : commonly known as cherry or small cherry, it has a cultivation history of more than 3,000 years and is known as the "treasure of fruit" and "the first branch of spring fruit". The fruit is small, round, and thin-skinned, and is not resistant to storage and is not convenient for transportation.

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② European sweet cherry : also called big cherry, which is what everyone calls "cherry". It comes from the English name of cherry, Cherries, which is transliterated as "cherry".

Image source: provided by the author

The fruit is large, brightly colored, juicy, sweet and delicious. It is generally heart-shaped or wide heart-shaped, with thick skin and is resistant to transportation. Sweet cherries originated in Europe and were officially cultivated in the 16th century. They were introduced to the United States for cultivation in the early 18th century and began to be cultivated in my country in the 1870s. They are currently cultivated in Yantai, Shandong, Dalian, Liaoning, Beijing, Tianjin and other places in my country.

③ European sour cherry : The fruit is relatively large, about 10mm~20mm in diameter, bright red to dark red in color, and native to western Asia and the Black Sea coast. Due to its sour taste, it is mainly used to process jams, preserved fruits, juices, fruit wines, condiments and other products, and is rarely eaten fresh.

④ Hairy cherry : commonly known as mountain cherry, widely distributed in North China, Northwest China and Northeast China. It tastes sour and sweet, the fruit is small, spherical, about 1cm in diameter, and comes in dark red and yellow. If you look closely, you will find that there are short hairs on the fruit.

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Generally speaking, cherries are actually a type of cherry, and the difference between them and Chinese cherries is that they are different varieties. It’s just that people are used to calling imported sweet cherries “cherries”, and domestic sweet cherries are called big cherries.

Cherries vs. Cherries

Which one has higher nutritional value?

Since both cherries and cherries are cherries, what is the difference in their nutritional content?

Cherries taste good, look good, and are expensive. Some people may wonder if cherries have higher nutritional value after spending a lot of money on them. There are even rumors that "eating cherries can supplement iron and vitamin C."

This may disappoint everyone. A high price does not mean more nutrition. Overall, the nutritional difference between cherries and ordinary Chinese cherries is small.

Comparison of some nutritional components between cherries and Chinese cherries

Note: The nutritional data of cherries comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrient database, and the nutritional data of Chinese cherries comes from the "Chinese Food Composition Table"; *The dietary fiber of Chinese cherries is insoluble dietary fiber.

-Vitamin C: Both cherries and Chinese cherries are not ideal fruits for supplementing vitamin C. The vitamin C content of cherries is 7mg/100g, which is not as good as Chinese cherries (10mg/100g) and only 21% of oranges (33mg/100g), but stronger than apples (3mg/100g).

-Iron: Cherries are dark red in color, which gives people the impression that they are rich in iron. But in fact, the iron content of cherries and cherries is very low, 0.36mg/100g and 0.4mg/100g respectively, which is only about 1/10 of lean pork. The reason why it is dark red is that it is rich in anthocyanins.

Image source: provided by the author

-Potassium: Although their vitamin C and iron content are low, their potassium content is still good, about 230 mg per 100 grams. Regular intake of potassium can help us maintain healthy blood pressure and improve myocardial contractility.

-Dietary fiber: Compared with Chinese cherries, cherries have thicker skin and a higher dietary fiber content of 2.1g/100g, which is beneficial for preventing constipation and protecting intestinal health.

-Biologically active ingredients: Cherries contain biologically active ingredients with antioxidant effects. The content in cherries is even richer. They contain a large number of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and other biologically active ingredients. The phenolic substances with higher content in the pulp are epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, catechin and rutin, all of which help reduce the body's inflammatory response and prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, both have lower calories and are more friendly to blood sugar indicators.

- Low in calories: Both cherries and Chinese cherries are not high in calories, but Chinese cherries are relatively lower in calories, at 46kcal/100g, which is only 73% of cherries. For those who want to lose weight, you should control the amount of cherries you eat. If you eat 20 cherries at a time, it is almost equivalent to half a bowl of rice.

One cherry weighs about 10 grams. Image source: provided by the author

-More friendly to blood sugar: The glycemic index (GI) of cherries is only 22~29, which is a low GI food. The GL is also very low, and it is a fruit with a low glycemic load. You can eat it with confidence even if your blood sugar is high.

However, cherries that are too dark in color may have a relatively high GI, perhaps reaching 63, which is a medium GI fruit. If the cherries you buy are very dark in color, just eat a few less.

All Cherry

Why are cherries so expensive?

The price of Chinese cherries on the market is less than 10 yuan per catty, or even lower, while the price of cherries is as high as hundreds of yuan per catty. Even after the large-scale listing of cherries, the price is still dozens of yuan per catty. Why are cherries so expensive?

The price of cherries at Beijing Xinfadi Wholesale Market in the past two months. Image source: Xinfadi official website

In fact, this is not surprising. First of all, cherries are relatively delicate and have high requirements for the growing environment. They are somewhat difficult to plant. They grow better in places with little rain, large temperature differences and low humidity.

The climatic conditions abroad are more suitable for growing sweet cherries than in China: the temperature is lower in summer, the temperature difference between day and night is large, there is less rain and low humidity, which is suitable for the growth of fruit trees, there are fewer diseases and pests, the trees accumulate sufficient nutrients, and the quality is excellent.

Simply put, cherries are not as easy to grow as Chinese cherries. It takes time, effort and money to cultivate them.

Moreover, compared with sweet cherries grown domestically, imported cherries generally taste better, are larger in size, and have a crisper texture , so many people will buy them even though the price is high.

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Secondly, after all, imported cherries are shipped across the ocean, and the travel expenses are quite high . Some are shipped by sea, and some are shipped by air. Cherries shipped by sea are cheaper than those shipped by air.

Taking all these conditions into consideration, it is understandable that cherries are expensive.

How to choose cherries

Delicious and cost-effective?

1

Look at the appearance

Choose sweet cherries that are large, brightly colored, plump and shiny, and feel firm when you pinch them. If they look limp and soft when you pinch them, they are basically not fresh. Generally speaking, darker colored cherries taste better.

2

Look at the fruit stem

First of all, you should choose the ones with green stems, which are fresher. And the thicker and shorter the stems of sweet cherries are, the bigger the fruit will be and the sweeter it will taste .

3

Players feel heavy

The edible rate of sweet cherries is significantly positively correlated with the fructose content and glucose content. Sweet cherries with large fruits and a heavier feel have a higher edible rate and are sweeter.

4

Check the grade of cherries

If you have a need for a certain size of sweet cherries, you can directly ask the merchant about the grade of the cherries. The grading of imported cherries is generally based on the diameter of the fruit, using "ROW" and "J" to distinguish them. For cherries classified by the "ROW" standard, the smaller the number, the larger the fruit; for cherries classified by the "J" standard, the more "J"s, the larger the fruit.

The letters represent:

G =GIANT

P =PREMIUM

S =SUPER

X =EXTRA Extra, more

J =JUMBO; L=LARGE

Although the classification of cherries cannot be completely equated with whether the cherries are delicious, the size of the fruit is often proportional to the growth of the cherry, so choosing according to size is often a simple and effective way. The grading of sweet cherries in my country is different from that of imported cherries. my country mostly uses the weight of a single fruit as the grading standard.

If you don't know what grade the imported cherries you bought are, you can compare them with a 1 yuan coin. The diameter of a 1 yuan coin is 25 mm.

Image source: provided by the author

Cherries are juicy and sweet, but they are not cheap. The only nutritional benefit worth mentioning is that they are good for potassium. If you like them, eat them. After all, they can make you happy. But don't eat too much, or you'll get fat! In addition, it is best to keep them in the refrigerator and clean up the bad ones in time.

References

[1] Ma Lan, Chen Longlong, Ma Yan, Tian Tai, Liu Zhenshan, Zhou Jingting, Tu Hongxia, Wang Zhiyi, Wang Hao, Chen Qing, Wang Xiaorong, Wang Yan. Fruit texture quality evaluation of 50 Chinese cherry cultivars[J]. Journal of Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, 2023, 39(7): 1613-1616

[2] Cai Yuliang, Li Shan, Cao Dongwei, Qian Zengqiang, Zhao Guifang, Han Mingyu. Genetic analysis of cherry germplasm resources using DNA amplified fragment sequences [J]. Acta Horticulturae Sinica, 2006, 33(2): 249-254

[3] Cui Jianchao, Wang Wenhui, Jia Xiaohui, Wang Zhihua, Tong Wei. Problems and development strategies of domestic sweet cherry industry from the perspective of current sweet cherry production status at home and abroad[J]. Journal of Fruit Science, 2017, 34(5): 620-631

[4] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171719/nutrients

[5] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[6] Pei Lingdong, Wang Zhen, Peng Yong, Zhao Dengchao, Zhang Xu. Comparison of quality indicators and phenolic substances of four sweet cherry varieties[J]. Food Research and Development, 2023, 44(1): 47-53

[7] Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values ​​2021

[8] Li Ming, Zhao Gairong, Liu Congli, Li Yuhong. Comparison and analysis of ecological climate in major sweet cherry producing areas in China and abroad[J]. Journal of Fruit Science, 2014, 31(S1): 169-174

[9] Zhang Sumin, Yang Wei, Wang Bosong, He Yang, Zhang Qijing. Evaluation of fruit quality characteristics of 12 sweet cherry varieties[J]. Food Research and Development, 2022, 43(20): 73-82

[10] Zhao Hui. Comparative study on fruit quality traits of sweet cherry varieties in different regions[J]. Agricultural Science and Technology Communications, 2023(5):107-112

Planning and production

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Wang Mengru

Editor: Wang Mengru