It is said that one throws the other. And it is also said that eating them directly from the tree (like all fruits) is one of the great pleasures of life. And then what beautiful are they cherries, red with a vermilion red, round, perfumed, small, usable, sweet. In short, it seems that this fruit that in the end is quite ephemeral (at the end of June it has already exhausted its best period, in Piedmont the little worms are called giuanin, because they begin to be seen after June 24, San Giovanni) has so many and such advantages to make it an icon of beauty and health.

They are anti-aging and help renew the skin
In fact, cherries are not only great allies of the health, but also of the beauty and in particular they are fundamental for the care of the skin. Thanks to carotenes and mineral salts, they help protect it from the sun and obtain a natural and homogeneous tan. Finally they are good for legs, thanks to their remarkable diuretic powers, and counteract the problems of circulation, cellulite and capillary fragility. IS at the dawn of summer, just amber, the legs begin to show themselves in all their beauty and their care, we women know well, it becomes the focus of the treatments. Therefore this sweet and juicy fruit is often used in masks and in regenerating packs or as a natural scrub for the body, thanks precisely to its exfoliating powers.

For a natural peeling
In fact, cherries are rich in alpha hydroxy acids, substances that exfoliate the skin, making it softer and brighter, and help it renew itself. They contain vitamins and minerals that transmit energy and antioxidants that counteract free radicals, are very moisturizing and soothe inflammation.

And again perfume and color
In the beauty sector then the cherry is considered a queen. Experts have renamed it cherry-mania referring to the trend that most people want lipsticks to the scent or color of cherry. The cherry can therefore be considered a muse in the beauty sector, and for color and perfume. One of the most popular fruity notes in perfumery it is precisely that of cherry, which characterizes many fragrances, but which in reality is not extracted from the essence of the fruit, being simply a wise imitation of it.

A curiosity
Legend has it that Ludovico Ariosto went mad and that, especially during his tenure as Governor of Garfagnana, annexed at that time to the Este Duchy of Ferrara, it consumed a large amount. Above all it seems that he was a strong consumer of cherry soup, refining a recipe handed down by the shepherds that cooked the cherriestheand in milk sweetened with honey and butter is when the sauce obtained was very tight, they spread it on bread. The possible variations of the Ariosto soup are obviously many, such as the one with savoiardi and ricotta which consists in enriching the whole with ricotta beaten by hand (to incorporate air and make it more creamy) to spread over a layer of soaked ladyfingers. And above all the cherry sauce.

Looking for the perfect one
But does the perfect cherry exist? The cherry season has begun, which marks the summer, but which is also very ephemeral. And we talk about it a lot, wondering what the identikit of the perfect cherry is. In the last International Cherry Symposium, held in Vignola (Modena), which boasts protected excellence, some essential characteristics have been written: the real cherry has to be productive, with a homogeneous and sustained caliber (greater than 26 mm ), resistant to diseases. In addition, it has good organoleptic properties, ie sweetness, consistency and crunchiness, it must be able to resist cracking and have a good hold both on the tree and after harvesting and, last but not least, it must know how to adapt, in times of changes climate.

But then are we sure that we write cherries? Yes, but if there was doubt, rest assured that you are not alone. There is also tolerance for the version without "i". So much so that a book by Oriana Fallaci was called A hat full of cherries. Without i.

Emanuela Di Pasqua,
May 2017

updated
May 2018

updated May 2019