Royal Helen: the fairest of them all

04 Jul 2023
1942

Stefano Lugli - SL Fruit Service (IT)
Chair of Cherry Times technical-scientific committee

The cultivar (cv) Royal Helen* produced by a young producer from the province of Modena (IT) was awarded the title of 'Most Beautiful Cherry in Italy' 2023. Congratulations to Riccardo Bergonzini. The jury of the competition that rewards Italian excellence every year during an initiative now in its XXIV edition, supported by teams of renowned chefs and qualified experts of this fruit of paradise, decreed the Californian maiden as the most charming of cherries, but not the tastiest.FOTO 1: Classifica del concorso nazionale “Ciliegie d’Italia” 2023IMAGE 1: Classification of the national 'Cherries of Italy' competition 2023

The fine palates of the commission decided that the award for the best cherry should go to an elderly lady from Campania, now at the end of her career, the variety Spernocchia.

FOTO 2: SpernocchiaIMAGE 2: Spernocchia

Old hen makes good stock? Wisdom comes with age? It depends on the point of view. I share a thought by Oscar Whild that seems pertinent: With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.

Royal Helen's value

IMAGE 3: Royal Helen*

A pragmatic view, supported by experimental experience and direct observations in orchards, leads us to say that Royal Helen* should rightfully be included in the top ten of the new late season cherry varieties. For these three reasons: high aesthetic standards, excellent cherry quality and high production performance.

IMAGE 4: Main features of Royal Helen*

The varieties of the Royal® series, the Californian cherries of Zaiger Genetics, were presented to the general public four years ago at the International Cherry Symposium in Vignola (IT). Among them is the cultivar Royal Helen*.

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