# Does this Civil War era recipe use fresh currants or dried?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-civil-war-era-recipe-use-fresh-currants-or-dried/515343>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 27, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-civil-war-era-recipe-use-fresh-currants-or-dried/515343 "2009-10-27T20:32:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-civil-war-era-recipe-use-fresh-currants-or-dried/515343/41 "2009-12-06T18:13:34Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Same here. I’ve always thought of currant as referring to either blackcurrant or redcurrant. But it appears they also refer to a type of grape, something I’ve never been aware of.

It looks like it’s an Anglo usage that has died out in the US. Here in Canada, both raisins and currants are readily available. I use them in several recipes I’ve inherited from my mum - welsh cakes, mincemeat, and so on - all British recipes.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-civil-war-era-recipe-use-fresh-currants-or-dried/515343/42 "2009-12-07T00:18:23Z")

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It actually turned out quite popular - nobody likes fruitcake but they all liked this. A success, I think.

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