Cherry

Cherries come in four distinct groups. Altogether, some 1200 varieties are grown around the world. There are two main groups of sweet cherries, although hybridization and cross-pollination has made the distinction a little fuzzy. The first type of sweet cherry is the soft but extremely juicy variety classified as Guigne; of these, Black Tartarian is one of the more common. Guigne sweet cherries are not popular commercially because they are too delicate to ship. The second sweet variety is the Bigarreau. These cherries are firm, with a slightly dry flesh that is better suited to shipping. This category includes the well-known Bing cherry and the so-called white cherries, which actually have closer to light red and yellow skin and amber flesh; Royal Ann is one of the better known of these.