Crème de Cassis
Encyclopedia
Crème de cassis is a sweet, dark red liqueur
that is made from blackcurrant
s.
Several cocktail
s are made with crème de cassis, including the very popular wine cocktail, kir.
," which had been produced in prior centuries.
It is made from blackcurrant
s that are crushed and soaked in ethanol
, with sugar subsequently added. While crème de cassis is a specialty of Burgundy, it is also made in Anjou
http://www.giffard.com/en/s06_catalogue/s06p02_produit_pro.php?categ=64, Luxembourg
and Quebec
.
The quality of crème de cassis depends upon the variety of fruit
used, the content of the berries
, and the production process. If it is labelled "Crème de Cassis de Dijon
," one is guaranteed berries from the commune of Dijon. Since 1997, a syndicate has tried to obtain an "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
" for "Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne," which would guarantee the origin and variety of berries and the quantity of berries used in its production.
Nearly 16 million litres of crème de cassis are produced annually. It is consumed mostly in France but is also exported.
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
that is made from blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
s.
Several cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
s are made with crème de cassis, including the very popular wine cocktail, kir.
Origin and production
The modern version of the beverage first appeared in 1841, when it displaced "ratafia de cassisRatafia
Ratafia is a liqueur or cordial flavoured with lemon peel, herbs in various amounts typically combined with sugar. It may also be prepared with peach or cherry kernels, bitter almonds, or other fruits, as many different varieties are made...
," which had been produced in prior centuries.
It is made from blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
s that are crushed and soaked in ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, with sugar subsequently added. While crème de cassis is a specialty of Burgundy, it is also made in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
http://www.giffard.com/en/s06_catalogue/s06p02_produit_pro.php?categ=64, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
The quality of crème de cassis depends upon the variety of fruit
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
used, the content of the berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, and the production process. If it is labelled "Crème de Cassis de Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
," one is guaranteed berries from the commune of Dijon. Since 1997, a syndicate has tried to obtain an "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
" for "Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne," which would guarantee the origin and variety of berries and the quantity of berries used in its production.
Nearly 16 million litres of crème de cassis are produced annually. It is consumed mostly in France but is also exported.