Cloudberries are known as “The Gold of the Forest” in some regions. While they might have “Berry” in their name, and also look like a raspberry due to their shape, they are botanically classified as fruits. Cloudberries are beautiful with a yellowish-orange color. It becomes yellow as it ripens.
Cloudberries are very expensive and hard to procure. In North America, trying to get your hand on this fruit could be one big fortune. The jam is easier to come by.
What do cloudberries taste like? Cloudberries have a bit of sweet taste with some tartness to go with it. It is more like a sweet-sour experience but still has a bitter flavor to it. It is very subtle but unmissable. The texture of freshly picked cloudberry is firm but as it becomes too ripe, it becomes softer and develops a creamy texture.
Unlike some other tropical fruits, cloudberries aren’t too sweet. They are just the right amount of sweet. Cloudberries are similar to other wild berries, the only difference is that they have larger seeds.
Nutritional Benefits of Cloudberries
Cloudberries have been regarded as a fruit with medicinal properties. This is because the fruit is loaded with so many nutrients and minerals that are of great benefit to the human body. For example, one tiny cloudberry has at least three times more vitamin C than one orange fruit.
The list of nutrients and minerals present in cloudberries is long, but let’s do a quick rundown. You have Vitamin C, A, and E, fiber, ellagic acid, and omega 3 acids. These are good for your health, but that’s not all. Minerals like Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium, and Beta carotene are also present.
Historically, cloudberries have been used in a medicinal capacity. Over a long time in history, cloudberries have been used as a measure to bolster vitality. The leaves of the plant can be boiled into a tea and used to cure urinary tract infections.
Cloudberries back then were also used to improve digestion, bolster bowel movement, and protect against kidney, liver, gallbladder, and respiratory diseases.
For example, Canadian Inuits have used the cloudberry fruit to cure scurvy because of the high amount of Vitamin C it contains. In the present day, studies into the benefits of cloudberries have shown that aside from them having a positive effect on bowel movement, they might be able to reduce the risk of colon cancer and could help reduce cancer progression and keep it from spreading to other organs.
Cloudberry might be one small sweet-sour nugget, but it packs plenty of health benefits for the human body.
Culinary Uses of Cloudberries
Cloudberries are very hard to obtain, so it is possible you haven’t even seen the fruit but you have had a taste of cloudberry jam. This is one of the many things you could do with cloudberry.
Cloudberries can be eaten as it is. In some regions of the world, you are free to pick them for free as long as you are going to eat them. The use of cloudberries isn’t confined to jam or eating them alone.
Cloudberries can be used in sauces, jellies, and pies. You can also blend cloudberries into your yogurt. Cloudberries are usually bursting with flavor, so they should not hurt in smoothies and drinks. The ripe cloudberries can be used to flavor liqueurs like sweet wines, raspberry liqueurs, Grand Marnier, and creme de cassis.
Cloudberries are excellent in desserts like pies, sorbet, and tarts. They can also be used in baked goods like muffins and cakes.
Where are Cloudberries Grown? How Can You Procure Them?
Cloudberries can be found in Scandinavia. It is so well known that if the fruit blooms and the harvest for that year is huge, the year is referred to as a cloudberry year. This term is only used when the harvest is bountiful. It means that for that year, the weather has been quite right for the plant. Aside from Scandinavia, cloudberry is predominantly found in Northern Europe, places like Norway, Finland, and even Alaska.
If you live in the United States or anywhere outside northern Europe, Cloudberry to you would be an exotic fruit. This is because Cloudberries are very selective about where they grow, and the slight change in the weather for the year could mean no fruits.
Cloudberries grow in marshes and the effort to domesticate it has proven futile. So, cloudberries are left to grow in the wild. In countries like Norway, some laws can be applied to the picking of the fruit. If you are found guilty of stealing these cloudberries you can be fined and put in jail for three months.
Trying to get your hands on fresh cloudberries could be mighty expensive but, you could experience the taste of this fruit by buying cloudberry jam.
What Do Cloudberries Smell Like?
Cloudberries smell a bit like blackberries. It is not classified as a berry but seems to have similarities to berries. Cloudberries give off a musky odor.
Facts You Don’t Know About CloudBerries
- Cloudberries go by other names. Names like Averin, Yellowberry, Gold of the forest, Nordic Berry, and Bake Apple.
- In Scandinavia, many fruit pickers don’t sell them after picking. Instead, they preserve the fruits in the freezer so they can last for a little while.
- The Botanical name for Cloudberry is Rubus chamaemorus. They are part of the Rosaceae family.
- When planted, it takes cloudberry seven years to mature and start producing fruits.