Wisdom Of Ages

Ripe for the picking.

Cherry is da bomb. That's what we gather from reports of the growing use of this fruit in everything from alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to personal care products, salads and (ugh!) hamburgers.

The Cherry Marketing Institute places the average number of cherry items in supermarkets at 35 to 40. Even more intriguing, word is that a certain cherry/almond liqueur combination is the toast of trendy New York City nightclubs.

Want proof that cherries are ripe for the picking? Consider this: The number-one canned pie filling is--you guessed it--cherry.

This article was originally published in the November 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Wisdom Of Ages.