Ingredient: Raisins
Roman athletes were given raisins as prizes and performance fuel, which makes them arguably the world’s oldest sports snack!
Raisins might be one of the oldest preserved foods in your cupboard. People were sun-drying grapes in ancient Persia as far back as 2000 BC, and it likely began quite simply, when grapes were left on the vine a little too long and someone thought they were still worth keeping.
For something so small, raisins have quite a lot to offer. They provide iron, potassium to support your heart, fibre to help keep things moving, and polyphenols from the grape skins, similar to those found in red wine. They’re also a handy little energy boost, with natural sugars that can help keep you going between meals. Stir them into porridge, scatter them through salads, or add them to a slow-cooked dish. Or simply bake them into something warm and comforting.
But it’s worth clearing up the great British dried grape confusion. Raisins, sultanas and currants are all dried grapes, but not quite the same. Raisins are the largest, usually from dark grapes. Sultanas are smaller and golden, made from seedless white grapes. Currants are tiny and dark, traditionally from Zante grapes. Most recipes won’t mind if you swap them, but they are actually different.
