Sea Buckthorn Berry

Also known asHippophae rhamnoides · 沙棘

Name: Sea buckthorn berry (Hippophae rhamnoides). It is also sold as seaberry or sandthorn, and the shrub grows in coastal and mountainous regions. The genus name Hippophae is often traced to Greek words meaning “shining horse,” from an old tale that horses fed the leaves developed glossy coats.

Description

Sea buckthorn is a hardy, thorny shrub that grows across a wide stretch of Europe and Asia, from coasts in north-west Europe to the high mountains of the Himalayas and China. It thrives in poor, salty or sandy soil, and is often planted to hold soil in place. Its small, bright orange berries cling tightly to the branches, making them awkward to harvest.

The berries have been used in traditional Asian medicine and in Russian research and cosmetics for generations. Their flavour is intensely sour, with a hint of pineapple, so they are usually made into juice, jam, tea and syrup rather than eaten raw, and an oil is also pressed from the pulp and seeds.

Main nutrition value

Sea buckthorn berries are widely described as one of the richest fruit sources of vitamin C, and also contain carotenoids, vitamin E and plant oils, which give the berries their orange colour.

How best to be consumed

Sea buckthorn is very sour, so it is almost always sweetened or blended with other fruits.

1. Mix the juice with honey or apple juice and dilute it to taste.
2. Cook into jam, jelly or syrup, which softens the sharpness.
3. Steep dried berries or leaves into a tart herbal tea.
4. Add a spoonful of the juice or puree to smoothies and yoghurt.
5. Choose products that list the berry as the main ingredient and limit added sugar.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sea buckthorn is safe in food-sized amounts, though it is not a fruit to eat in large quantities.

1. Stomach discomfort or heartburn from the strong acidity, especially on an empty stomach.
2. Loose stools if a lot of the juice or high-dose supplements are taken.
3. Possible effects on blood clotting, so people on blood-thinning medicines should ask a pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated products.
4. A drop in appetite for other foods if very sour juice is drunk in large amounts.

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