Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca. Sweet juicy mirabelles are believed to have originated in Anatolia; today they grow so well in Lorraine that the region produces 80% of the world’s crop and are protected with an IGP designation. They make an excellent jam.
The mirabelles de Nancy are sweeter than the mirabelles de Metz and are usually eaten fresh.
Metz however, holds the far more impressive Fêtes de la Mirabelle in August, featuring plums in all their forms, including mirabelle eau-de-vie.
Image by Stanislas PERRIN