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I
recently received an email from a friend asking what fruit
or vegetable an anagram her son had brought home from school
was. I worked out it was a boysenberry. This then got me
thinking about other odd named and quite rare berries.
BOYSENBERRIES
A
boysenberry is a type of glossy, large, juicy berry related to
the North American blackberry. In addition to being eaten
fresh during the brief growing season, boysenberries are also
incorporated into jams, preserves and syrups. Their flavour
is somewhat reminiscent of a raspberry, with a more tart
undertone, especially when the berries are not fully ripened.
Since boysenberries are not very stable off the vine, it is
important to eat them within two or three days of purchase.
The
inventor of the boysenberry is believed to be Rudolph Boysen,
who experimented with various berry crosses in Napa,
California in the 1920s. In 1923, his cross of a blackberry,
loganberry and raspberry successfully grew and bore fruit.
The boysenberry was acquired by Walter Knott, a southern
California berry farmer, who started selling the fruit
commercially in 1935. Boysenberries and boysenberry preserves
helped to make Knott’s business famous around the state.
HUCKLEBERRIES
Huckleberries are small round berries, with a similar
appearance to blueberries, though their colour may range
instead from deep crimson to eggplant purple. They have a
taste similar to blueberries, but many say when they are fully
ripe, it is like eating the most flavourful blueberry in the
world. Huckleberries grow wild through the US Northwest.
They are not cultivated as are their blueberry cousins and the
best place to look for them is either in the wild or at local
farmer’s markets. However, since they are rare and not grown
commercially, they are expensive.
ACAI BERRIES
Acai
berries are berry fruits from the acai palm, which is native
to Northern Brazil. The berries have formed an important part
of the diet of Brazilians and Native Americans for centuries,
and began to be processed and exported for general global
consumption in the 1990s. Many health food promoters seized
upon acai berries as a “superfood” because they are rich in a
variety of vital and useful substances. Health food stores
and gourmet grocers carry acai berry products such as juice
and frozen pulp.
OLALLIEBERRIES
Olallieberries are large, shiny, juicy berries in the bramble
family. They are most commonly compared to blackberries, and
they are closely related to blackberries. However, they have
a more intense, tart flavour and a very brief growing season.
They are most widely cultivated along the West Coast of the US,
specifically in California, and are a coveted treat while
fresh. They can also be found frozen and in the form of
preserves such as jams and jellies. In some areas,
olallieberries are also used to make distinctive berry wines.
CAMU-CAMU BERRIES
These are
the fruit of the camu-camu tree native to the Amazon
rainforest of Peru and Brazil. Camu-camu berries have a red
or purple skin, white flesh and large seeds. Although they
resemble the cherry in appearance, they are much more sour and
are not usually eaten plain.
The
indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest have harvested and
cultivated camu-camu berries since before the arrival of
Europeans. In recent decades, the fruit has become popular in
foreign markets, most notably in Japan. |
