Crisp, sweet and delicate

It’ll soon be that time again. From noon on Monday, 22 June 2020, the ‘Chriesigloggä’ (cherry bells) of Zug and Baar will ring, thereby giving the starting signal for the local cherry season. And the traditional Zuger Chriesimärt (Zug Cherry Market) will start in the afternoon at 3 p.m. The cherry farmers of the region will be offering  their freshly picked fruit on the Landsgemeindeplatz in the city of Zug. The cherry market, which was first referenced in 1627, takes place for two to three weeks from Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm. The farmers expect a good cherry harvest this year, and hope to offer a wide range of crisp and sweet cherries.

Even though the Chriesisturm (Cherry Run), which is well-known and popular far beyond the borders of the region, has fallen victim to the pandemic this year, fans of Zug cherries will still get their money's worth. The Chriesimärt will open at 3 p.m. on Monday, 22 June 2020 on the Landsgemeindeplatz in Zug. It will then provide a platform from which the cherry farmers of the region can sell their sweet fruits and products for two to three weeks from Monday to Friday. This year's cherry season will be heralded in Zug and Baar at noon on the same day by the Chriesigloggä of the Zug town church of St. Michael and the Baar parish church of St. Martin. The Chriesimärt in Zug was first mentioned in 1627, and the Chriesigloggä von Zug and Baar were mentioned for the first time in 1711 and 1731 respectively.

The Zug Chriesimärt, which was first mentioned in 1627, is the oldest cherry market in Switzerland and takes place on the Zug Landsgemeindeplatz every year from mid/end of June. Various types, including some rare varieties of high tree cherries are offered, which are planted and maintained around the city of Zug by the cherry farmers of the region.

Ready for harvest

The 2020 cherry season looks very promising: the farmers of the region expect a year that will be at least average, if not good. The Bise wind in March brought frosty temperatures for some of the varieties of table cherries in the Zug valley region, and caused failures, for example,for the "Kordia" variety. Other representatives of this sweet fruit have weathered the cold better. The local high tree variaties (Hochstamm)  have done very well, and promise a year that will be at least average at all locations. How many cherries make it to the market in the end and finally onto the table of the customers has yet to be seen, however. The weather during the harvest season must also play its part. In addition to hailstorms, which could damage the fruit on the trees, the weather also affects the damage potential of the dreaded ‘cherry vinegar fly’ (Kirschessigfliege). If wet and warm conditions prevail during the main harvest season, the pest can optimally develop its dreaded effect. The best way to avoid this is to buy in the first cherries early on, and then try out as many different varieties as possible directly at the market stalls of the Zuger Chriesimärt/(cherry market) during the short cherry season.

www.zugerchriesi.ch

More information: Peter Hegglin, President IG Zuger Chriesi, 041 755 34 43 or 079 743 48 19