Iranian Cherry Juice

While looking for something interesting to drink at lunch time, I was pleasantly surprised to find a box of Sour Cherry Juice, something that I love but rarely find. After buying it, I read the labels all around (English and Arabic script) and was surprised to discover that it is a product of Urmia, Iran. As an American citizen, we cannot get Iranian products in the USA, but of course those items are available in Malaysia, which trades with all nations except Israel and (maybe) North Korea. In fact, most of the orange juice that we purchase comes from the Middle East, most notably Oman and Yemen. As people who were raised on orange juice from either Florida or California, it has been interesting to discover the non-USA sources for such items. In the end, trade benefits nations and brings peoples closer together.

A brief web search showed me that Urmia lies in the northwest corner of Iran, up against the border with Turkey, and is in a rich agricultural region. In addition to cherries (obviously), the region is known for its grapes, apples and tobacco. Just to the east of the city is a large lake -Lake Urmia- which probably helps to give it a mini-Mediterranean climate; thus the ability to grow fruit. This is not unlike places in the USA (Flathead Lake, Montana; Traverse City, Michigan) which, although in the snowbelt, can produce cherries due to the moderation of the winter temperatures by the large body of water nearby.