Grapes are a type of berry of woody, deciduous vines, belonging to the genus Vitis. They are very tasty, eaten raw or in the form of juice, jam, wine, jelly, grape seed oil, vinegar and raisins.  Grapes are thus very versatile type of fruits. They make for ideal ingredients in fruit baskets.

But here are some less known, interesting facts about grapes:

• Grapes are classified botanically as berries: They are a type of berry with fleshy inside and leathery cover, much like blue-berries.

• There are around 8000 varieties of grapes, found in around 60 species. Major types are European and American.

• One cup of grapes has only 100 calories but is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins C and K.

• One bottle of wine takes 2. 5 pounds of grapes to make it.

• Raisins refer to dried grapes which are left to cure in sunlight.

• Grapes come in a variety of colours: purple, pink, yellow, green, black, etc.

• Most grapes originate from cultivars made of Vitis Vinifera, the grape vine native to Central Asia and the Mediterranean.

• Around 71% of grapes cultivated in the world are used to make wine, 2% as dried fruit and 27% as fresh fruit.

• The most widely cultivated grape variety is the Sultanas, also called as Thompson seedless.

• Grapes are divided into table grapes and wine grapes. Table grapes are eaten raw, are seedless and have less sugar content than wine grapes which are seeded and used to make wine.

• Grapes are vegetatively propagated by cutting and lack of seeds does not hinder reproduction. At present, there are over a dozen types of seedless grapes which you can include in a basket of fruit.

• Grape juice is fermented to make wine, vinegar or brandy.

• Dried grapes contain around 15% water.

• The making of wine started from as back as 5000 BC.

• Grapes help lower risk of heart attacks by increasing levels of nitric acid in the blood which prevent formation of blood clots.

• Grapes are used to cure indigestion, asthma, migraine, fatigue and kidney disease.

• They contain low levels of fat, sodium and cholesterol.

• They can have laxative effect when consumed in a large quantity.

• Grapes have 80% content of water and make for a good low calorie snack.

• An acre of grape plantation can make 15,000 cups of wine.

• The global wine industry produces over 70 million tons a year.

• The grape industry is the biggest food based industry in the world.

• Australia makes over 1 billion litres of wine annually.

• Napa Valley in California has the highest concentration of wineries in the world (over 200).

• Grapes are rich in phyto-nutrients like Poly-phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. One phyto-nutrient is Resveratrol, which protects body from cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer, etc. Another group is Anthocyanins, which have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic qualities.

These are some uncommon facts about grapes- one of the world’s most popular fruits.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2016 at 9:36 am and is filed under Fruits Basket. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.