There are red, white, and black currants. The black ones are famously used to make creme de cassis, a currant-flavored liqueur. All varieties are found in fruit tarts, preserves, and sorbets. There are dozens of varieties of plums, and they come in many different colors. Tiny mirabelles come in shades from yellow to ruby red and are used for cooking and to make eau de vie.
Japan is the source of many plums cultivated in America.
These fruits, which come in all hues, are usually large, round, and suitable for eating fresh or cooked. Prune plums have a very high sugar content, which allows them to be dried whole without fermenting. It was brought to California in 1856 by a Louis Pellier, after his attempt to cash in on the Gold Rush had failed. Like peaches, plums come in both clingstone and freestone varieties. Apparently the combination of pectins, sugars, and malic acid contained in lekvar retain moisture and enhance flavor, the way that fat does.