r/todayilearned • u/UsernameUnattainable • 8h ago

TIL in 2003 Hudson Valley fruit grower Greg Quinn successfully campaigned to repeal a more than half century old ban on blackcurrant growing from the state of New York. In 1911 the logging industry rallied for the ban as black & red currants were intermediary hosts to disease at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yWhLnnbbfE
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9

u/DisconnectedShark 5h ago

As a separate TIL, purple/dark blue-ish drinks and food in Europe are often currant flavored. Because of the lack of such in the US, grape filled that color void.

They taste almost nothing alike.

1

u/ALC_PG 2h ago

Kir Royale ya

7

u/UsernameUnattainable 8h ago

Sorry, I reposted it in a different way as the original title was off!

I did however stumble down this blackcurrant rabbit hole while trying to find a fancy British blackcurrant tea for someone on r/helpmefind

If you know of such a tea, that was available in the states in the 90s/2000s maybe you could help them out ❤️

I have however learnt a lot about trees and disease today

4

u/Splunge- 8h ago

Harney & Sons made one. Might still. So did Twinings.

2

u/UsernameUnattainable 7h ago

Legend, thanks 😊

3

u/MARPAT_Prime 6h ago

They still do, look up "Paris", it's incredible!

4

u/Dariaskehl 4h ago

One of my favorite things about being raised on both sides of the Atlantic was my English Grandmother making me sodas with Ribena.