A sultana is a small, sweet, golden raisin made from seedless white grapes. While regular raisins turn dark purple or brown as they dry in the sun, sultanas are treated differently during drying, which keeps them lighter in color and often makes them plumper and juicier. They're popular in baking: you'll find them in scones, fruitcakes, and cookies, especially in British recipes.

Today, most sultanas come from Turkey, Australia, and California.

In some countries, people also use sultana to mean the wife or female relative of a sultan, similar to how we might say “queen” or “princess.” But when you see the word in a cookbook or on a package at the grocery store, it's talking about the golden raisins.

Sultanas taste slightly sweeter and tangier than regular dark raisins, which makes them perfect for recipes where you want bursts of fruity flavor without the heavier taste of regular raisins.