Currants are made from a specific small grape variety called the Black Corinth grape (Vitis vinifera). These grapes are seedless and dried to produce the small, dark, sweet, and sometimes sour dried fruit known as currants or Zante currants. This distinguishes them from other dried grapes like raisins and sultanas, which come from different grape varieties. The name currant comes from the ancient city of Corinth in Greece, where these grapes were originally cultivated. Importantly, currants made from Black Corinth grapes are different from black currants, which are berries from a shrub in the Ribes family and are not dried fruits.