Amarena cherries are a product of the marvelous Emilia-Romagna region of Italy where other noteworthy products include tradizionale balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, Culatello di Zibello Ham (the king of salumi), Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, Salamini italiani alla cacciatora, Brisighella Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, etc. Amarena cherries are harvested in the wild and known for having both a sweet and subtle bitter flavor, like many Amari drinks produced in Italy. The Amarena cherries we sampled were preserved in a sweet syrup and were simply the best tasting canned cherries we’ve ever sampled.
We used the cherries mixed with Greek yogurt, on top of very good vanilla ice cream, drizzled over a hot croissant, and as a garnish for an expertly made Manhattan cocktail. The sour cherries we were lucky enough to sample were produced, organically, by the Lupatelli family just outside of Emilia-Romagna in the region of Marche. The only ingredients used in the production of the cherries include lemon rind, almond oil, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and carob flour.
The fertile Po River valley is home to many of Italy’s legendary food products, including Amarena cherries. Specifically, in the province of Parma and nearby Reggio Emilia and Modena, you can find many of the best local salumi, Parmigiano Reggiano, pastas and vegetable preserves in all of Italy. Paradiso Cake was born in Pavia. Cremona gave rise to Nougat, Mantova preserves the original recipe of pasta filled with pumpkin. Lodi dairy production is renowned thanks to the typical Granone. Alba and Cuneo are home of Truffle. Asti is renowned for its Napoleonic Marengo chicken. Vercelli is famous for its Panissa.
Amerana cherries are the best tasting cherries ever. I was lucky enough to go to Italy this summer when they were being picked (in my hometown, Vallata) and cooked by my cousins. I remember their distinct flavor and my grandmother would send us jelly (in the US) when I was younger. Never had anything better.