Zante currants,
Corinth raisins, or
Corinthian raisins, also called simply
currants, are dried berries of the small, sweet, seedless
grape cultivar 'Black Corinth' (
Vitis vinifera). The name comes from the
Anglo-French phrase "raisins de Corinthe" (grapes of
Corinth) and the
Ionian island of
Zakynthos (Zante), which was once the major producer and exporter. It is not related to
black,
red or
white currants, which are
berries of shrubs in the
Ribes genus and not usually prepared in dried form.