a thirst for useless information.gentlemen please,,,,,,,

i ate a bowl of porridge and sultanas earlier.
and found myself wondering/pondering;
we have sultanas,raisins,and currants.
right?
they'er all dried grapes.
right?
so why all three?
what's the difference?
seasons?
time of harvesting?
what?
or maybe just different types of grape that are grown.

serious question.

maybe somebody can give me a site where i might find this info.

Sultana (grape)


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




For other uses, see Sultana (disambiguation).





Sultana (Thompson Seedless) grapes
The sultana (also called the sultanina) is a type of white, seedless grape assumed to originate from the Turkish, Greek, or Iranian area[citation needed]. In some countries, especially Commonwealth countries, it is also the name given to the raisin made from it; such sultana raisins are often called simply sultanas or sultanis. These are typically larger than Zante currants (which are actually a kind of dried grape, rather than true currants), but smaller than "normal" raisins. Sometimes, the name "sultana" is applied to all raisins, to the extent that the breakfast cereal known as Raisin Bran in the United States and most English speaking countries, is known as "Sultana Bran" in Australia.[1]

Sultana raisins are small, sweet and have a golden colour.[2]





Contents
[hide] 1 History
2 Raisins
3 Other uses
4 See also
5 References


History





Container of sultanas as part of a school lunch
The sultana raisin was traditionally imported to the English-speaking world from the Ottoman Empire. Turkey and Australia are major producers.[3]

The sultana grape is cultivated in the United States under the name Thompson Seedless, named after William Thompson, a viticulturist who was an early grower in California and is sometimes credited with the variety's introduction.[4][5] According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, the two names are synonymous, which means Sultanas are grapes.[6] Virtually all of California raisin production (approximately 97% in 2000) and roughly one-third of California's total grape area is of this variety, making it the single most widely-planted variety.[5][7]

Raisins

In Anglo-America, most raisins, including those with the typical dark brown colour, are made from the sultana grape, more commonly called the Thompson Seedless. The term "sultana" is rarely used to describe raisins. When it is, it is restricted to golden-coloured raisins, which are more commonly called "golden raisins". Any kind of grape may be used to produce golden raisins, and any kind of golden raisins from any kind of grape may be marketed as "sultanas". Moreover, the golden color may owe to a treatment with sulfur dioxide rather than traditional drying and preservation methods.[8] Most non-organic sultana grapes in California and elsewhere are treated with the plant hormone gibberellin.[9]

Other uses

As well as serving as a snack food without further processing, sultana raisins are used in a variety of dishes and baking, such as in fruit-cakes and Bath buns, sometimes prepared by soaking in water, fruit juice, or alcohol. The sultana grape is even used to make white wine, where it is known for its "sweet blandness".[4][5]

They are also referred to as the “three way grape” because it is used for table grapes, raisins and wine. In the United States it is the base for wine generically called “chablis” (named for the Chablis region of France). However, the wine made from this grape is not a true Chablis wine. The name Chablis is protected in the European Union. For wine sold in the EU, "Chablis" refers only to wine made from the Chardonnay grape produced in the region of Yonne département.

It is also the most planted grape in California due to its triple use. [1]

Sultana grape juice was fraudulently sold as being of Chardonnay grapes in Australia for wine making, due to the lower cost of Sultana grapes. The fraud was discovered in 2003 by Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. It was considered the largest case of wine deception in Australian history.[2][3].

See also
Grape
Raisin
Zante currant

Raisins are dryish. Sultanas are wives of sultans (but the fruits are less dry and usually paler). Currants are like grit in comparison.

Sultanas go well in scones as they retain a bit of bounciness.
Raisins go well in chocolate or on their own because they have a bit of bite to them.
Currants are very dry and go well in recipes that ask for bits of zest and so forth.

Raisins are the only ones I'd eat on their own out of preference and custom. The other two are recipe fodder.

i was hoping for just a few lines.

an informative,defining response.
-------------------------
ie.
region of origin.
time of year/month.
climate.
a particular type of grape.
etc.
---------------------------

and maybe there isn't one.
maybe it's all a bit convoluted.

whatever.

thanx anyway.