Cherry Poem by gershon hepner

Not every cherry must be sweet,
for when the fruit is sour
it makes dessert a special treat,
and tarts; its cherry power
comes not from sweetness but a tang
that's sharper than a dart,
and doesn't whimper, with a bang
that bursts the cherry's heart
exploding in the mouth with juice
that makes the palate quaver.
While sweet ones please the tongue that's loose
with succulence and flavor,
the taste of cherries that are sour
transcends them; men who're smart
flee sweetness seeking sour power,
and taste it in the tart.

Frank Prial writes about the cherries in Yakima County, Washington, in the NYT (July 8,1998) . He raves about the Rainiers, although they are so delicate and bruise so easily that only 30 per cent of the crop goes into premium packs. Bings make up 85 percent of the crop and Rainiers less than 5. Lamberts look and taste like Bings but are smaller. Prial says little about sour cherries except that they are best for canning and that Michigan is a major producer.

7/8/98