Groups of Cherry Varieties

Sweet cherries have often been classed into two main groups: bigarreau with firm, dry flesh; and guigne (the French equivalent of ‘gean’) with soft, juicy flesh. However, hybridization has blurred this old distinction. Sweet cherries of the firmer (bigarreau) sort include the justly popular ‘white’ (in reality light red and yellow) Napoleon, Bing (a fine red cherry, named after his Chinese workman by an American grower, now dominating US fresh sweet cherry production), and Rainier (a cross of Bing and Van, delicate and exquisitely sweet). Softer (guigne) varieties include Black Tartarian and Coe’s Transparent (with a clear skin, but too delicate to be shipped).