Sultana (grape)

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The sultana is a type of white, seedless grape of Levantine or Persian origin, as well as a type of raisin made from it; such sultana raisins are often called simply sultanas. These are typically larger than the currants made from Zante grapes but smaller than 'normal' raisins, and are noted for their sweetness and golden colour.

The sultana grape (also called the sultanina) is cultivated in the United States under the name Thompson Seedless, named for William Thompson, a viticulturist who was an early grower in California (sometimes credited with the variety's introduction). According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, the two names are synonymous. Virtually all of California raisin production (approximately 97 percent in 2000) and roughly one-third of California's total grape acreage is of this variety, making it the single most widely-planted variety.

Sources of confusion are that not all speakers of English make clear distinctions between different types of dried grapes (raisins, sultanas, currants), and that golden-coloured raisins made from other grape varieties may be marketed as sultanas. In addition, virtually all California raisins are produced from the sultana (or Thompson Seedless) grape, even those which, because of different drying processes, do not resemble the traditional sultana raisin. The term sultana is not commonly used to refer to any type of raisin in American English; as most American raisins are from sultana grapes, they are called simply raisins or golden raisins, according to colour. The latter, which at least in colour resemble the traditional sultana raisin, are artificially dried and sulfured, in distinction to `natural' raisins.

The sultana raisin was traditionally imported to the English-speaking world from the Ottoman Empire (hence the name sultana, from the feminine form of sultan) and Greece; Australia has also been a major producer.

As well as serving as a snack food without further processing, sultana raisins are used in a variety of dishes, often prepared by soaking in water, fruit juice, or alcohol. The sultana grape is also used to make white wine, in which capacity it is known for sweet blandness.

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