In the United States, a
maraschino cherry ( or ) is a preserved, sweetened
cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the
Royal Ann,
Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a
brine solution usually containing
sulfur dioxide and
calcium chloride to bleach the fruit, then soaked in a
suspension of
food coloring (common red food dye,
FD&C Red 40),
sugar syrup, and other components.