The Cerise de Montmorency — A Very French Cherry

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The Cerise de Montmorency — A Very French Cherry

In this episode of Fabulously Delicious, we’re diving into the story of one of France’s most iconic fruits: the Cerise de Montmorency, a bright, tangy sour cherry with centuries of history behind it. From its first written descriptions in the 17th century to its status as a prized delicacy for Parisian nobility, this small fruit has played a surprisingly big role in French food culture.

We explore the cherry’s deep roots in the town of Montmorency, just north of Paris, where it became a local treasure and a seasonal obsession. You’ll hear how thousands of baskets of cherries once traveled daily from the Montmorency valley to Paris, why Parisians rented cherry trees by the hour in the 19th century, and how the famous “gaudrioles” became part of everyday life and leisure.

The episode also follows the Montmorency cherry’s journey beyond France, tracing how it spread to North America and became the most widely grown sour cherry in the United States and Canada. We look at modern production, culinary uses, and how this tart cherry continues to thrive in pies, preserves, juices, kirsch, and both traditional and contemporary French cooking — even as cultivation in France has become more limited.

Finally, we turn to the present and the future, including the 2023 publication of the cherry’s fully sequenced genome and what that means for growers, researchers, and flavor lovers alike. It’s a story of agriculture, gastronomy, and heritage — all wrapped up in one vividly red, unapologetically tart, and very French cherry.

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