WHY OBLACHINSKA CHERRY?

  • The worldwide market for fresh cherries is projected to rise at a CAGR of 5.50% from 2017 to 2022.
  • Serbia is ranked 5th – 7th worldwide in cherry production.
  • Roughly 9 million cherry trees.
  • Third position according to the value of exports of this fruit.
  • Cherries are grown in Serbia on about 26,000 hectares
  • The 2018 production amounted to around 128,023 tons
  • The dominant variety is the Oblachinska cherry, with an average annual production of over 85.000 – 105.000 tons.
  • Specific cultivars for processing that dominate global sour cherry production include Serbian landrace “Oblachinska”, German landraces “Schattenmorelle” and “Ostheimer”, Hungarian-bred “Újfehértói Fürtös” (syn. “UngarischeTraubige”, Balaton™), “Érdi Bőtermő” (syn. Danube™), and the old French cultivar “Montmorency”.
  • Smaller and darker than other varieties, it is famed for its unique balance of sweet and sour, in part thanks to the local soil and climate.
  • A rich source of natural antioxidants, primarily phenolic compounds: cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (more than 1000 mg/kg), chlorogenic, caffeic and p-coumaric acid, rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, procyanidins, (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin and (+)-gallocatechin.
  • Oblachinska is the most common cultivar in Serbian sour cherry orchards and is an autochthonous and heterogeneous Serbian cultivar.
  • Oblachinska cherries are predominantly produced and processed in South-East Serbia: Knjazevac, Zajecar, Nis, Prokuplje, and Kursumlija.
  • Sour cherries are very popular as a fruit crop and in the fruit industry.
  • The cherry is the most competitive Serbian fruit on the European market.
Oblachinska sour cherries have a high content of total soluble solids (12-20 %), while the total acid content is usually in the range of 1.4 to 2.0%. The most common sugar in Oblachinska sour cherries is fructose, followed by glucose, while sucrose is found in a very small quantity. The high content of total soluble solids, the favorable sugar-acid ratio, the excellent fruit flesh firmness, and the exceptionally high-quality aromatic profile make the Oblachinska sour cherry an industrial variety of remarkable quality. Polyphenolic compounds, including anthocyanins (coloring compounds), are the most important biologically active compounds of the Oblachinska sour cherry. They are characterized by significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity. The most abundant phenolic compounds are rutin, chlorogenic acid and anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-O-glucosyl-rutinoside, cyaniding 3-O-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-sophoroside).