raisin

1. A sweet grape dried either in the sun or by artificial means.
2. A deep brownish purple.

[Middle English, from Old French, grape, from Vulgar Latin *racīmus, from Latin racēmus, bunch of grapes.]

Dried seedless grapes of several kinds. Valencia raisins from Spanish grapes; Thompson seedless raisins produced mainly in California from the sultanina grape (the skins are coarser than the sultana). Raisins are also produced in Australia and South Africa. A 20-g portion provides 1.4 g of dietary fibre and supplies 50 kcal (210 kJ). See also currants, dried; dried fruit; sultanas.

Raisin oil is extracted from the seeds of muscat grapes, which are removed before drying them to yield raisins. The oil is used primarily to coat the raisins to prevent them sticking together, to render them soft and pliable and less subject to insect infestation.

[RAY-zihn] In the most basic terms, a raisin is simply a dried grape. About half of the world's raisin supply comes from California. The most common grapes used for raisins are thompson seedless, zante and muscat. Grapes are either sun-dried or dehydrated mechanically. Both dark and golden seedless raisins can be made from Thompson seedless grapes. The difference is that the dark raisins are sun-dried for several weeks, thereby producing their shriveled appearance and dark color. Golden raisins have been treated with sulphur dioxide (to prevent their color from darkening) and dried with artificial heat, thereby producing a moister, plumper product. The tiny seedless Zante grapes produce dried currants, and muscat grapes (which usually have their seeds removed before processing) create a dark, perfumy and intensely sweet raisin. All raisins can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for several months. For prolonged storage (up to a year), they should be refrigerated in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Raisins can be eaten out of hand, as well as used in a variety of baked goods and in cooked and raw dishes. They have a high natural sugar content, contain a variety of vitamins and minerals and are especially rich in iron. See also currants.

Raisin can refer to:

• Raisin, a dried grape
• Raisin (musical), the musical version of the play A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry
• "Raisins" (South Park episode), a South Park episode
• Raisin, former name of Raisin City, California
• Raisin Township, Michigan

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - [bot.] rosin

Nederlands (Dutch)
rozijn

Français (French)
n. - raisin sec

Deutsch (German)
n. - Rosine

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) σταφίδα

Italiano (Italian)
uvetta

Português (Portuguese)
n. - uva passa (f)

Русский (Russian)
изюм, изюминка

Español (Spanish)
n. - pasa, pasa de uva

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - russin

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
葡萄干, 葡萄干色, 深紫红色

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 葡萄乾, 葡萄乾色, 深紫紅色

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 건포도, 짙은 남빛, 흑인

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 干しブドウ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) زبيب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮צימוק‬

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