# Please help: What are sultanas & aubergines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820 "2005-02-07T15:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/81 "2005-02-09T14:33:42Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Can yopu get suet in the colonies? I don’t think I’ve ever even **seen** suet. I’ve tried to find it (I’m always experimenting with different chili recipes, and some call for suet as the browning-fat, instead of bacon grease or olive oil) – but none of the supermarkets around here carry it. I know suet is “the fat surrounding beef kidneys,” and I’ve always imagined it would have a consistency like Crisco or congealed bacon grease, but the mincemeat recipe you gave calls for “shredded suet,” so I suppose it’s something more solid than that. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/82 "2005-02-09T14:36:11Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > I don’t know why currants are called that – it’s obviously confusing as hell – but they aren’t related to blackcurrants or redcurrants. So how are blackcurrants and redcurrants eaten? Fresh? Dried? Cooked in pastries? Made into jam, jelly or juice? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/83 "2005-02-09T14:37:22Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > It’s like bacon and gammon in English and scottish usage - both are pork products but the meanings are very different. What’s gammon? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/84 "2005-02-09T14:38:47Z")
May I refer you to Delia again . \*The sultana differs from the raisin in two ways, one of which is fairly apparent. It is lighter in colour – the lighter the better, in quality terms – but it is also the sun-dried grape of one variety alone, the green, seedless Sultana grape of ancient (possibly Persian) lineage \* \*Currants are small black grapes (often Zante or Corinth varieties) that have been dried. The same technique is used to make raisins and sultanas: \* So Sultana and raisin from the large green grape . Currant from the small black grape BTW **Owl** , I hope this isn’t one big wind-up ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/85 "2005-02-09T14:40:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever even **seen** suet. I’ve tried to find it (I’m always experimenting with different chili recipes, and some call for suet as the browning-fat, instead of bacon grease or olive oil) – but none of the supermarkets around here carry it. I know suet is “the fat surrounding beef kidneys,” and I’ve always imagined it would have a consistency like Crisco or congealed bacon grease, but the mincemeat recipe you gave calls for “shredded suet,” so I suppose it’s something more solid than that. Most store-bought Christmas puddings and mincemeat use vegetarian suet ( what ever that is ) ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/86 "2005-02-09T14:48:53Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > I’ll accept that the word currant and raisin are interchangable nationally, but would point out that where I come from they aren’t. No, no, no. The two aren’t interchangable at all. Raisins and currants _are_ different things, but they’re _both_ dried grapes. Just _different_ grapes. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/87 "2005-02-09T14:53:14Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Most store-bought Christmas puddings and mincemeat use vegetarian suet ( what ever that is ) A mixture of vegetable oils and flour by the looks of it. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/88 "2005-02-09T14:54:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > So how are blackcurrants and redcurrants eaten? Fresh? Dried? Cooked in pastries? Made into jam, jelly or juice? Yes - all of those. Ribena is a blackcurrant drink - very popular here. Redcurrants are also made into a a jelly served with meat (especially venison). ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/89 "2005-02-09T14:56:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever even **seen** suet. I’ve tried to find it (I’m always experimenting with different chili recipes, and some call for suet as the browning-fat, instead of bacon grease or olive oil) – but none of the supermarkets around here carry it. I know suet is “the fat surrounding beef kidneys,” and I’ve always imagined it would have a consistency like Crisco or congealed bacon grease, but the mincemeat recipe you gave calls for “shredded suet,” so I suppose it’s something more solid than that. Its a hard white/yellow fat. As you say it surrounds the kidneys - it isn’t like lard, butter etc. It’s much harder. It does however melt down in pastry etc ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/90 "2005-02-09T14:59:57Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > May I refer you to Delia again . > > \*The sultana differs from the raisin in two ways, one of which is fairly apparent. It is lighter in colour – the lighter the better, in quality terms – but it is also the sun-dried grape of one variety alone, the green, seedless Sultana grape of ancient (possibly Persian) lineage > \* > > \*Currants are small black grapes (often Zante or Corinth varieties) that have been dried. The same technique is used to make raisins and sultanas: > \* > > So Sultana and raisin from the large green grape . Currant from the small black grape > > BTW **Owl** , I hope this isn’t one big wind-up No it’s not a wind up - I’m genuinely baffled. If I want to wind people up I’ll just start a “why are all Americans fat” thread Let me get this straight; Sultanas are the lighter bigger chaps made from green grapes- fine. Raisins are the little black jobbies made from purple grapes - fine Currants are also little black jobbies made from purple grapes - hmmm So are currants and raisins the same bloody thing or not? If not what _precisely_ is the difference? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/91 "2005-02-09T15:05:57Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What’s gammon? At the risk of my own, and other’s, sanity: The answer to this depends where you come from in Britain. In England it is a cured pork meat that is thickly sliced and grilled or fried and served hot Often with either a fried egg or pineapple (posh). In Scotland (certainly the bit of Scotland that my Mother’s family come from) it is a cured, cooked pork meat that is served cold in sandwiches etc - what we in England call ham. What I was attempting to point out is that what one part of Britain may call something may be at variance with the names used elsewhere. Like I say in Hampshire a currant is ALWAYS and ONLY something off a currant bush - however I am happy to accept that this is not the usage elsewhere. But I would like to know what the hell the difference between a currant and a raisin is. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/92 "2005-02-09T15:37:08Z")
What most of the people above seem to be saying is that raisins, sultanas, and ‘currants’ are all dried grapes, just starting with different varieties. (BTW, if ordinary raisins start with green grapes like sultanas do, how do they get so black? I know stuff often darkens as it dries, but still…) On the other hand, the ones on the bushes instead of vines are certainly currants when they’re fresh, and will continue to be so when they’re dried. It seems that either the ‘currants’ most people are talking about are a wrongly-labelled variety of raisins, or everybody else here is as confused as I am. I’ll also throw a little more confusion into the bacon/gammon discussion. In Western Canada at least, there’s side bacon (the strips of streaky stuff) and back bacon (more like thin-sliced ham, even though it isn’t off the leg). Both are usually fried. In the US, I think back bacon is called ‘Canadian bacon’. In both places, AFAIK, if you just say ‘bacon’ you mean side bacon. Maybe back bacon is something like one or the other version of gammon. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/93 "2005-02-09T15:43:21Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > No it’s not a wind up - I’m genuinely baffled. If I want to wind people up I’ll just start a “why are all Americans fat” thread > > Let me get this straight; > > Sultanas are the lighter bigger chaps made from green grapes- fine. > > Raisins are the little black jobbies made from purple grapes - fine > > Currants are also little black jobbies made from purple grapes - hmmm > > So are currants and raisins the same bloody thing or not? If not what _precisely_ is the difference? More from Delia \*Raisin is quite a broad, generic term for a dried white grape. In the past most raisins would contain a few seeds because seedless grapes were uncommon. Now, raisins are usually seedless. A delicious exception are Muscatel grape raisins, which are large and light, with some of the scented character of the fresh fruit and a tiny seed or two. Lexia raisins are an extra-large Muscatel raisin. \* So Sultanas and Raisins are both produced from white / green grapes and currants from black grapes. I think I have just lost the will to live. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/94 "2005-02-09T15:52:48Z")
Here is why all this dried fruit is dark in colour ( from Tiscali ) _Grapes may be dried in the sun or artificially, using hot air. The dark colour of the dried fruit comes from the caramelization of natural sugars during the drying process. Drying reduces grapes to 25 % of their original weight, while retaining almost all the nutritional value of the fresh fruit._ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/95 "2005-02-09T15:55:39Z")
In Agatha Christie’s famous mystery novel _The Murder of Roger Ackroyd_, Hercule Poirot is depicted as living in retirement in a country village and devoting his leisure to the cultivation of “vegetable marrows.” I always thought these would be pumpkins. Are they actually zucchini (courgettes)? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/96 "2005-02-09T16:08:50Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > On the other hand, the ones on the bushes instead of vines are certainly currants when they’re fresh, and will continue to be so when they’re dried. It seems that either the ‘currants’ most people are talking about are a wrongly-labelled variety of raisins, or everybody else here is as confused as I am. I don’t think I have ever seen this sort of bush currant in dried form . To preserve them ( as **OWL** has said ) they are made into jams , preserves or drinks. If you tried to dry them I think you would end up with just a bit of skin and nothing else. They they seem to be about 95% liquid with a very thin skin and hardly any flesh ( unlike a grape ) And currants aren’t wrongly named raisins , they are a separate variety. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/97 "2005-02-09T16:32:45Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > I always thought these would be pumpkins. Are they actually zucchini (courgettes)? Yes, but of pumpkin-like proportions. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/98 "2005-02-09T16:50:56Z")
Can I tell my marrow joke? You know the one , about the man who spent all night in his vegetable garden to stop his prize exhibit (entered in a vegetable show ) from being sabotaged. He was found next morning frozen to the marrow. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/99 "2005-02-09T17:40:36Z")
Was he holding his plums? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820/100 "2005-02-09T17:44:34Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Yes, but of pumpkin-like proportions. The mind…boggles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-what-are-sultanas-aubergines/288820.md?page=6)