Lingonberry

Name: Lingonberry, also called cowberry, foxberry, mountain cranberry or (in Newfoundland) partridgeberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). It is a close relative of the cranberry and the blueberry.

Description

Lingonberry is a low evergreen shrub that grows wild across the cold forests and tundra of northern Europe, Asia and North America. It is especially important in Scandinavia and Finland, where families gather the bright red berries each autumn, helped by the public right of access to nature that lets people forage freely. In Sweden the berries are served as lingonsylt, a sweet-tart preserve eaten with meatballs, black pudding, potato pancakes and game.

The berries are naturally rich in benzoic acid, a natural preservative, so they keep well even without much sugar, which long made them a valuable winter food in cold climates. Their flavour is sharper than a blueberry's and similar to a cranberry's.

Main nutrition value

Lingonberries contain vitamin C, fibre and a good amount of plant pigments and other polyphenols, similar to their cranberry cousins.

How best to be consumed

Lingonberries are too tart for most people to eat raw in quantity and are usually cooked or sweetened.

1. Serve as a preserve or sauce with meat, game, pancakes or potato dishes, as in Scandinavian cooking.
2. Stir into porridge, yoghurt or smoothies, with a little honey if needed.
3. Bake into muffins and cakes, or simmer into a compote.
4. Make into juice or cordial, usually diluted and lightly sweetened.
5. Choose preserves with a high fruit content and less added sugar where possible.

Overconsumption could cause…

Lingonberries are safe in ordinary amounts, and the main issue is how they are usually prepared.

1. Added sugar adding up, since the berries are most often eaten as sweetened jam or sauce.
2. Stomach upset or heartburn from the fruit's acidity if eaten raw in large amounts.
3. Tooth enamel wear from frequent acid and sugar exposure.
4. Little risk from the berry itself otherwise, though anyone on blood-thinning medicines should ask before adding large amounts of berry products.

GroupsBerriesHeath family (Ericaceae)Fresh

Related foodsBilberryBlueberryCranberryHuckleberryAcai BerryBlackberry

Wikipedia — Lingonberry, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingonberry