What is "maraschino cherry"

maraschino cherry \ma`ra*schi"no cher"ry\, n.

1. A cherry which is colored a deep red and sweetened by cooking in colored syrup, and flavored with maraschino. It is used as a garnish in deserts and cocktails.

2. The marasca cherry tree.

n. A preserved, sweetened cherry.

1. n. Dalmatian bitter wild cherry tree bearing fruit whose juice is made into maraschino liqueur [syn: marasca, marasca cherry, Prunus cerasus marasca]

2. cherry preserved in true or imitation maraschino liqueur [syn: maraschino]

In the United States, a maraschino cherry ( or ) is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually containing sulfur dioxide and calcium chloride to bleach the fruit, then soaked in a suspension of food coloring (common red food dye, FD&C Red 40), sugar syrup, and other components.

Maraschino cherries are an ingredient in many cocktails, giving them the nickname "cocktail cherries." As a garnish, they often are used to decorate frozen yogurt, baked ham, cakes, pastry, parfaits, milkshakes, ice cream sundaes, and ice cream sodas. They are an integral part of an American pineapple upside-down cake. They are frequently included in canned fruit cocktail. They are also used as an accompaniment to sweet paan, and sometimes, along with some of the maraschino "juice," put into a glass of Coca-Cola to make an old-fashioned or homemade " Cherry Coke."

Maraschino Cherry is a classic American adult erotic film released in 1978. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris") and filmed in several elaborate locations in New York City.

Maraschino Cherry was released during the Golden Age of Porn (inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol Blue Movie) in the United States, at a time of " porno chic", in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope) and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert).

Films made by Radley Metzger, the film director, are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle", according to one film reviewer. Another film reviewer noted that Metzger's films are "highly artistic – and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".