Cherry blossom season in South Korea is BEAUTIFUL.  Streets and countrysides are lined with trees whose branches are clouds of pink and white blossoms.  As the season progresses, these blossoms drop away and float down like a soft, warm wonderful kind of snow and blanket the shoulders of the roadways.  But what’s even more beautiful, in my mind, is the bounty of fresh, ripe cherries that follows.  Rich, deep-red cherries with shiny, glossy skins are currently lining the shelves of grocery stores, fruit stands and markets everywhere.  Their fresh, tart sweetness is begging to be eaten and I am eating them in abundance!  I eat them by the handful, the bowful, the bagful, and the whole darn boxful!  And guess what happens to pair perfectly with juicy cherries?  Rich, complex, oh-so-slightly bitter deep-dark chocolate!  I was literally mid-drizzle with my chocolate syrup* poised over a bowl of fresh chopped cherries when my latest idea for Overnight Oatmeal sprang to mind.  Dark Chocolate Cherry is decadently delicious and still as healthful, high-protein and wholesome as ever!

I hope I’ve been able to show you that foods that taste good can also be really good for you (and vice versa!).  Like other fruits and berries I’ve featured in my recipes, cherries are high in disease-fighting antioxidants.  They’re also touted for their benefits in the digestive system, and black cherry bark is used by some as a cough suppressant.  Learn more about what WebMD has to say about cherries here!

And since WebMD is a wealth of information, I’ll quote them directly for their tips on helping you to choose the best cherries at the store (or market or fruit stand): “Good cherries should be large (one inch or more in diameter – that’s 2.54cm, metric friends! – GGG), glossy, plump, hard and dark-colored for their variety. Buy cherries with stems on – they should be fresh and green. Reject undersized cherries or those that are soft or flabby. Avoid fruit that is bruised or has cuts on the dark surface.”

So, there you have it folks.  Cherries are not only good, but good for you!

Now, as for dark chocolate, I’m not even going to elaborate.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I’ve saved myself a few thousand words of typing (and you a few thousand words of reading):

Here’s the only reading left for you to do!

*Please note that I am currently NOT sponsored by or affiliated with any particular brand, company or product. Any ideas, comments or opinions are my own, as mentioned in my Product Review page.  However, if you choose to purchase new-to-you products I recommend using the link(s) I provide, I can earn a small credit.  More information on that is available here.

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