Raspberry

Also known asRubus idaeus · 覆盆子

Name: Raspberry, usually the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus). Other types include the black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) of North America, and yellow and purple forms. The species name idaeus means “of Mount Ida.”

Description

Raspberries are native to Europe and northern Asia, where wild raspberries were gathered long before they were farmed. Deliberate cultivation in Europe is recorded from the Middle Ages onward, and over the centuries the fruit spread across the world as a garden plant and later a major commercial crop. Today Russia, Poland, the United States and Mexico are among the largest producers.

Botanically, a raspberry is an aggregate of tiny drupelets. When picked, the fruit slips off its core and leaves a hollow centre, unlike its relative the blackberry, which keeps its core. Raspberries are delicate and spoil quickly, so many are sold frozen or turned into jam, juice and desserts.

Main nutrition value

Raspberries are notably high in dietary fibre for a fruit, and also provide vitamin C, manganese and plant pigments called anthocyanins and ellagic acid.

How best to be consumed

Raspberries are best eaten fresh, soon after buying, since they are soft and perish quickly.

1. Eat fresh with a gentle rinse just before serving, to keep the delicate fruit from going mushy.
2. Add to porridge, yoghurt, smoothies or salads for a tart, fibre-rich boost.
3. Use frozen raspberries for smoothies, sauces and baking, where texture matters less.
4. Make a quick raspberry sauce by simmering with a little sugar, then straining out the seeds.
5. Store unwashed in the fridge in a shallow container and use within a couple of days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Raspberries are safe in ordinary amounts, and the main points are digestive.

1. Bloating, gas or loose stools from a large amount of fibre and fruit sugar at once.
2. Seeds that can irritate people with diverticular or sensitive digestive conditions in some cases.
3. Added sugar adding up when eaten mostly as jam, sweetened sauces or desserts.
4. Allergic reactions in a small number of people, such as itching around the mouth.

GroupsBerriesRose family (Rosaceae)High fibreLow fatLow sodiumFresh

Made intoRaspberry Jam

Related foodsLoganberryBoysenberryBlackberryStrawberryDewberryServiceberry

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