Why are there three different words in English for dried grapes?

Question

Before they are dried, they are just 'grapes'. After they are dried they are 'currants', 'sultanas' or 'raisins'. Can someone explain this oddity of the English language? Is the same distinction made in other languages?

Harriet: why the snotty comment?

Jeez, people, you ask an honest question, and people start criticizing your grasp of English. For your information, Harriet and Ionz, I am a native English speaker, educated to postgraduate level, and lecturing at a university. If you can point out grammatical or other linguistic errors, please do so.

Answer 1

SULTANA
The sultana is a soft, juicy, amber coloured fruit with a very sweet flavour. It is largely produced from a seedless white grape and varies in shape from round to oval according to variety. The majority are produced from the Thompson seedless grape, first developed in Kew Gardens. This grape contains 18-20 per cent fruit sugar, which is essential in retaining a plump fruit after evaporation of its water content.

The sultana has its own distinctive sun-drying treatment which varies depending on origin, but which differentiates it from a raisin: One method is to spray the grape with a vegetable based drying oil, pre sun-drying. This allows the fruit's water content to evaporate more quickly when exposed to the sun. The actual sun-drying process can also vary, depending on country of origin. One method is to sun-dry the clusters of fruit on racks in partial shade. Another method is to place the fruit in the open sun on special shaped concrete drying areas. Drying can take from a week to ten days until the moisture content has been reduced sufficiently (to around 16 per cent) to produce succulent sultanas.

The fruit is then taken to the factory for processing where it is washed and cleaned and given a fine coating of vegetable oil. This keeps the fruit moist and prevents the berries sticking together. In addition, a sweet-sour tasting golden sultana is also cultivated and is especially distinctive as it has a bright yellow colouring.

Main producing countries: Turkey, Australia, Greece, Iran, South Africa

RAISIN
The word raisin comes form the Latin racemus, which means "a cluster of grapes or berries". The raisin is dark brown and wrinkled with a sweet mellow flavour. It is produced from unseeded or seeded, white or black grapes. The vast majority are, however, produced from the seedless white Thompson grape.

A grape becomes a raisin when its moisture content has been reduced, through sun-drying, to around 16 per cent. The grape is harvested when ripened to its fullest and is picked in clusters. At this stage the methods implemented for sun-drying vary greatly in accordance with the different countries of origin. Methods used include drying the grapes on clean paper trays between the vines, or placing the grapes on special concrete drying areas. The clusters are spread evenly and turned occasionally so that each grape gets the necessary amount of sunshine required. The fruit lays in the full glaze of the sun, as opposed to partial shade, for 2-3 weeks until the grape's moisture content has been reduced to around 16 per cent into the caramel brown raisin we are familiar with. The raisins, as with sultanas, are packed to storage bins to keep the fruit moist, and are washed and oiled before export.

Main producing countries/regions: California, South Africa, Afghanistan, Chile, Australia

CURRANT
Currants are dried, black, seedless grapes. All currants derive from the same variety of grape known as the Corinth and this is from where the word currant originated. The methods for sun-drying currants vary according to the climate and soil of the region, but keeping the grape in the shade for the first part of the drying period is said to produce the best quality currant. Currants are graded in two sizes, small and medium - the smaller currant is used primarily in the bakery trade whereas currants bought form grocery and health stores are invariably the medium size variety.

Main producing countries: Greece is responsible for 89% of the world currant crop. Other producing countries include South Africa, Australia and USA.


As to a similar distinction in other langauges I would thinkso.

Answer 2

Waylander's explanation says it all, what a relief that there are some nice, intelligent & helpful people out there.

I think it was a good question too as I am English & never knew the difference, you learn something new every day .... don't understand the negative rubbish written in response to this question

Answer 3

'Waylander' seems to have given you some good definitions. English has such a large vocabulary (including different terms for things other languages consider the same), because it is a "bastard" language, having roots all over the place and still borrowing quite indiscriminately from many other languages.

Answer 4

Currents are not dried grapes; they are a separate fruit. Sultanas are the white/pale-colored raisins.

Answer 5

In the event that it's a fruit they have seeds, otherwise it's a vegetable. And vegetables are usually grown in the ground while fruits are grown in trees.

Answer 6

Currants are a different fruit.

Answer 7

cannot understand why some of the asshole's bother answering, good question though

Answer 8

It is just like that. Take it like it is.

Answer 9

I see the English language is somewhat of a mystery to you but you are trying to come to terms with it. Well done.

Answer 10

I wont repeat the other answers. I`ll just mock you for your basic grasp of English. When you speak it, come back and mock us then.