What Is the Difference Between a Cherry and a Berry?
Although cherries and berries are both considered fleshy fruits, cherries are drupes, which are a type of fruit that contain a single seed in the center surrounded by a hard core. Berries are a type of fruit on which the seed (or seeds) are located on the outside flesh.
Furthermore, the pits of cherries are poisonous and should not be consumed, whereas the seeds of most berries are edible and are frequently consumed with the fruit. Cherries are not only a popular food that grows on trees but are very high in antioxidants and are known to have medical properties. The antioxidants in cherries are what give them their red color, though not all cherries are red. Cherries come in both tart and sweet varieties. In general, the brighter the red shade of the cherry, the more tart the flavor.
Cherries have medical properties, and are used to treat coughs, arthritis and gout. The fruit and the tree it comes from are also used to make chewing gum. Traditionally, cherries are a summer fruit. Traverse City, Michigan is the world’s cherry capital, and more than 94 percent of cherries eaten in the United States are grown there. Other types of drupes include peaches and plums.
