What is the difference between raisins, currants and sultanas?

Ever wondered what raisins, currants and sultanas were before they were dried out? The answer is simple:

  • Raisins     = dried grapes
  • Currants  = dried grapes
  • Sultanas  = dried grapes

Of course it isn’t quite as simple as that or raisins, currants and sultanas would all look and taste the same. The differences are primarily due to the different varieties of grapes used to produce them.

  • Raisins     = any dried white grapes
  • Currants  = dried Black Corinth (also known as Zante)  grapes
  • Sultanas  = dried white seedless grapes, originally from Turkey. Usually Thompson Seedless variety.

Sultanas may have been bleached to make them lighter in colour than raisins.