What is the difference between raisins and currants?
Currants belong in a currant bun and raisins in an apple pie. And there’s a reason for that. Because although the two may look almost identical, they really are quite different. We’ll explain.
The type of grape
First of all, raisins and currants are of course both dried grapes, but they come from different types of grapes. Raisins are the dried version of larger grape varieties, of which Sultana is the best known. Currants, on the other hand, are the dried version of a single seedless grape variety found in Greece and California.
The colour
There is also a difference in colour, at least when the raisin has been dried for a short time, as it is still yellow in colour. The longer the raisin dries, the darker and browner it becomes. Currants are always brownish to deep dark blue in colour.
The taste
Raisins taste sweet, while currants are slightly more sour. As with the colour, the longer raisins dry, the sweeter they become. Perfect for that apple pie or couscous. Because currants are slightly more sour, they are often used for currant buns, currant bread and oliebollen.
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