Wikipedia Article About Dried cranberries on Wikipedia A craisin is a dried and sweetened cranberry, similar in texture to a raisin but the taste is more tart. The word "craisin" is a combination of the words Cranberry and Raisin. The word "Craisins" is a registered trade mark of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. Ocean Spray also markets orange and cherry flavored dried cranberries. In common usage the word Craisin refers to a sweetened and dried cranberry, not necessarily of any brand much as the word Kleenex is usually used to mean a tissue of any kind.