Van

The sweet cherry most people think of when they want cherries?

Van.

Apparently, no other varieties exist. :D

Van is a Canadian variety developed at Summerland in British Columbia and eventually became one of the most important sweet cherries grown commercially in Norway. For decades, it was almost the benchmark for what a proper sweet cherry should taste and feel like.

And for good reason.

The cherries are medium to large, dark and compact, with firm and wonderfully crisp flesh. The flavour is sweet and rich, with enough acidity to keep it balanced. A perfectly ripe Van is still right up there with the very best.

But Van has one mortal enemy.

Rain.

It practically cracks to pieces if it merely hears the word. That makes it challenging to grow without protection in our climate and is one reason why newer varieties have gradually replaced much of its commercial production.

But Van has something they cannot easily take away: its name and reputation.

Customers know Van. They ask for Van. And some remain firmly convinced that a proper sweet cherry simply has to be Van.

So even though we now grow varieties that are larger, more productive and considerably less frightened of rain, the old Canadian is still holding its ground.

If you're a sweet cherry grower and decide not to grow Van, you can be fairly certain someone will ask you why.
- Canadian variety developed at Summerland in British Columbia
- Medium to large, dark cherries
- Sweet and excellent flavour
- Firm and wonderfully crisp texture
- Highly susceptible to cracking in rain
- One of Norway's most important sweet cherry varieties for decades
- Still the definition of a sweet cherry for many customers
- A true customer favourite