What is Cider?
[[File:Apple juice with 3apples.jpg|thumb|Apple juice]] '''Cider''' (or '''cyder''') is a [[drink]] made from [[fruit]] [[juice]], most often from [[apple]]s. In [[Europe]] and [[Oceania]] it is an [[alcohol]]ic drink that is made from [[apple juice]], through a process called [[fermentation]]. In the [[United States]] and parts of [[Canada]], cider containing alcohol is called '''hard cider''' or '''alcoholic cider''', while ''cider'' or ''apple cider'' means less-[[Sweet (taste)|sweet]], usually [[filtration|unfiltered]], apple juice. In the United States and Canada people drink a special kind of cider around [[Halloween]] and [[Thanksgiving]]. This cider is usually unfiltered, rather thick, and it is often heated and spiced with cinnamon before drinking it. This is different from the cider in Europe, which usually is not heated. == How cider is made == [[File:American cider.jpg|thumb|100px|American Cider]] Usually to make cider, apples with a high concentration of [[tannin]]s are chosen. The [[fermentation]] of the apples takes place at around 4-15° [[Celsius]]. The temperature influences the duration of the fermentation. The temperature at which the fermentation occurs also has an effect on the [[taste]] of the cider. Shortly before all the [[sugar]] has been fermented away, the cider is put in a new [[barrel]] which is made air-tight. The rest of the sugar will then become [[carbonic acid]]. This will also add to the life-span of the cider (no pasteurisation is needed). Cider is also the starting-point for [[distillation|distilling]] [[Calvados (drink)|Calvados]]. This alcoholic drink is famous and very expensive. == Where cider is made == Cider is made almost anywhere where there are cider-apple trees, most notably * [[France]], with its main cider-producing regions: ** [[Normandy]], especially the [[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée|AOC]] [[Pays d'Auge]] (since march [[1996]]) ** [[Calvados (drink)|Calvados]], Normandy: Calvados the drink is made of cider through a process called double [[distillation]