Maraschino Vs Amarena Cherries: What's The Difference?

Cherries are a versatile little fruit. They can be folded into desserts, used as drink toppers, mixed into a savory sauce, or simply just eaten as a snack. While fresh cherries are abundant on grocery shelves during summer months, you can find them in cans or jars year-round. (Quick tip: Jarred cherries are a better buy than canned.) Another upside? Canned and jarred cherries usually come pre-pitted, so you don't have to go through the hassle of pitting each individual cherry.

Usually, canned or jarred cherries are floating in a sugary syrup. For this reason, you might assume that these are interchangeable for your culinary purposes, whether you're making a pineapple upside-down cake or serving a batch of old fashioneds to a crowd. However, it's important to note that picking the correct cherry can contribute to the success — or failure — of your edible creation. Two popular varieties that you might run into are maraschino and Amarena cherries. Sporting a vastly different taste and color, these two cherries should not be treated as true substitutions for one another. Let's break down the sweet nuances between these two types of syrup-packed cherries. 

When you think of the bright red cherry on top of an ice cream sundae, you're probably thinking of a maraschino cherry. They are extremely sweet and are best used with nostalgic desserts. You can bake them into a pineapple upside-down cake, use them for a cream pie, or place them atop any ice cream treat, like a milkshake or banana sundae.  

Can you use maraschinos as a garnish to your cocktail? Absolutely, it's not a crime against the culinary arts or anything. But, as they are often suspended in a sweet syrup, maraschino cherries ultimately just taste like sugar, so they won't really add anything of value to your drink. Also, their almost neon color can look a little off-putting or out of place in a classy, moody cocktail like an old fashioned or a Manhattan.

The overly sweet, in-your-face red maraschinos we know and love today actually have quite an interesting history. They were originally made using Marasca cherries in Croatia, specifically at a distillery that produced Maraschino liqueur. To preserve the cherries, they were jarred with the liqueur, essentially infusing them with booze. This product became popular worldwide, but when Prohibition was enacted in the United States, these alcohol-soaked cherries were no longer legal. A professor and horticulturist at Oregon State University, named Ernest Wiegand, took matters into his own hands to ensure Americans still had access to these tasty cherries. Instead of preserving them in a liqueur made from their own juices, Weigand found that brining the cherries and packing them in a sugary syrup worked just as well. However, since the brining process causes the cherries to lose all their natural color, maraschino cherries today have that bright red hue thanks to artificial dyes.

Conversely, Amarena cherries are much more nuanced and versatile than maraschinos. Amarena cherries are definitely sweet, but they also have a tartness that balances out the sugar and gives it a more complex flavor profile. They pair beautifully with delicate desserts like panna cotta or cheesecake, and their tart sweetness makes them a good candidate to use in savory dishes, like a pork tenderloin with a red wine cherry sauce. 

And remember how we said that the comically red maraschinos may not fit the vibe of your fancy cocktail? Well, Amarena cherries have a moody, dark red hue that will complement both the aesthetic and taste of your drink. Not only will its color look better against the copper tones of a whiskey drink, but the tart and sweet flavors will pair nicely with the spicy and oaky notes of the liquor. Adding a jar of Amarena cherries to your bartending toolkit can result in you making the best old fashioned you've ever had.

Flavor and color are the main differences between maraschino and Amarena cherries, though they differ in their origins as well. While maraschinos originated in Croatia, Amarenas are Italian (and lack any alcohol-related controversies with the U.S.). Ultimately, your cherry choice depends on what you're making and personal preferences. A maraschino tends to shine in playful desserts, while an Amarena cherry is more of a jack-of-all-trades, a welcome addition to nuanced sweet treats, savory sauces, and cocktails alike.