Previous to the production of raisins in California within the last
twenty years, the raisin industry of the world was entirely confined to
the Mediterranean district of Europe and Asia. At that period, however,
raisin grapes became more disseminated, and raisins were produced to
begin with in small quantities in widely distant countries, such as
Chile, Australia and California. By virtue of their climatic conditions,
the Mediterranean countries were the only parts of Europe where raisin
culture could be successfully carried on, though it is almost certain
that the original home of the raisin grapes must be looked for
elsewhere. In searching for the original habitat for the ancient
varieties of raisin grapes, we must look further east to ancient Persia,
or to the tablelands of Western Asia generally. In remotest antiquity,
grape culture was carried on there, and in the ancient records of
travelers in those countries we find mentioned dried and seedless
grapes. We can trace the origin of two varieties of raisin grapes to the
beginning of our era, which must then already have attained perfection.
As has been mentioned before, Pliny spoke of a small, sweet and
remarkable grape grown by the Greeks, evidently the “currant;” he also
mentions _Uva Zibebae_ and _Uva Alexandria_.
The Latins generally spoke of Uvae Apiariae or Uvae Muscae, our present
Muscatels or dried grapes generally. This carries us back fully nineteen
centuries. But we may well believe, even in want of records, that the
drying of grapes was practiced centuries before.