Botanical studies indicate that the Dominican cherry (Malpighia emarginata) is native to Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Before it ripens, it is green, and when it reaches maturity, it turns red, although there are also yellow varieties. It is a tart fruit, very rich in vitamin C, which is eaten fresh and also used to make cherries in syrup, generally prepared with white sugar or sugar syrup, and usually with the seeds included.

There are no records indicating that Indigenous peoples consumed this sweet; everything suggests that preparing fruit in syrup was a tradition introduced by the Spanish conquerors.