Concept
The sultana is a "white" (pale green), oval seedless grape variety also called the sultanina, Thompson Seedless (United States), Lady de Coverly (England), and oval-fruited Kishmish (Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India). It is also known as İzmir üzümü (grape of İzmir) in Turkey since this variety has been extensively grown in the region around İzmir. It is assumed to originate from Asia Minor, which later became part of the Ottoman Empire. In some countries, especially Commonwealth countries, the name sultana is used for the raisin made from it or larger seedless grapes; such sultana raisins are often called sultanas or sultanis. American sultana grapes are almost invariably Thompson Seedless, a name that refers to William Thompson, a viticulturist who was an early grower in California and is sometimes credited with introducing the variety. According to the US Code of Federal Regulations, the two names are synonymous. Virtually all of California raisin production (about 97% in 2000) and roughly one-third of California's total grape area is of this variety, making it the single most widely planted variety. The Ottomans took the sultana grape variety to the island of Crete in the 19th century. Raisin In the US, most raisins, including those with the typical dark brown color, are made from the sultana grape, the Thompson Seedless. The term "sultana" refers to golden-colored dried grapes, which may also be called "golden raisins" (such as marketed by Sun-Maid, a California-based raisin grape growers' co-op and legacy brand). Any grape may be used to produce golden raisins, and any kind of golden raisins from any kind of grape may be marketed as "sultanas". Moreover, the golden color may come from a treatment with sulfur dioxide rather than traditional drying and preservation methods. Most nonorganic sultana grapes in California and elsewhere are treated with the growth-inducing plant hormone gibberellin. In other grapes, gibberellin is released by the seeds.