Berries: A Global History PDF
Preview Berries: A Global History
berries Edible Series Editor: Andrew F. Smith edible is a revolutionary series of books dedicated to food and drink that explores the rich history of cuisine. Each book reveals the global history and culture of one type of food or beverage. Already published Apple Erika Janik • Banana Lorna Piatti-Farnell Barbecue Jonathan Deutsch and Megan J. Elias • Beef Lorna Piatti-Farnell Beer Gavin D. Smith • Berries Heather Arndt Anderson Brandy Becky Sue Epstein • Bread William Rubel • Cake Nicola Humble Caviar Nichola Fletcher • Champagne Becky Sue Epstein Cheese Andrew Dalby • Chillies Heather Arndt Anderson Chocolate Sarah Moss and Alexander Badenoch Cocktails Joseph M. Carlin • Corn Michael Owen Jones Curry Colleen Taylor Sen • Dates Nawal Nasrallah Doughnut Heather Delancey Hunwick • Dumplings Barbara Gallani Edible Flowers Constance L. Kirker and Mary Newman Eggs Diane Toops • Fats Michelle Phillipov Figs David C. Sutton • Game Paula Young Lee Gin Lesley Jacobs Solmonson • Hamburger Andrew F. Smith Herbs Gary Allen • Herring Kathy Hunt • Honey Lucy M. Long Hot Dog Bruce Kraig • Ice Cream Laura B. Weiss • Lamb Brian Yarvin Lemon Toby Sonneman • Lobster Elisabeth Townsend Melon Sylvia Lovegren • Milk Hannah Velten • Moonshine Kevin R. Kosar Mushroom Cynthia D. Bertelsen • Nuts Ken Albala • Offal Nina Edwards Olive Fabrizia Lanza • Onions and Garlic Martha Jay Oranges Clarissa Hyman • Oyster Carolyn Tillie • Pancake Ken Albala Pasta and Noodles Kantha Shelke • Pickles Jan Davison • Pie Janet Clarkson Pineapple Kaori O’Connor • Pizza Carol Helstosky Pomegranate Damien Stone • Pork Katharine M. Rogers Potato Andrew F. Smith • Pudding Jeri Quinzio • Rice Renee Marton Rum Richard Foss • Salad Judith Weinraub • Salmon Nicolaas Mink Sandwich Bee Wilson • Sauces Maryann Tebben • Sausage Gary Allen Seaweed Kaori O’Connor • Shrimp Yvette Florio Lane Soup Janet Clarkson • Spices Fred Czarra • Sugar Andrew F. Smith Sweets and Candy Laura Mason • Tea Helen Saberi • Tequila Ian Williams Truffle Zachary Nowak • Vodka Patricia Herlihy • Water Ian Miller Whiskey Kevin R. Kosar • Wine Marc Millon Berries A Global History Heather Arndt Anderson reaktion books This book is dedicated to my mother Debbie, who, like me, enjoyed eating feral berries as a young Cascadian wildling. Published by Reaktion Books Ltd Unit 32, Waterside 44–48 Wharf Road London n1 7ux, uk www.reaktionbooks.co.uk First published 2018 Copyright © Heather Arndt Anderson 2018 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers Printed and bound in China A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library isbn 978 1 78023 895 1 Contents Introduction 7 1 Botany 9 2 Berry-lore 26 3 Picking and Growing 47 4 Dishes and Drinks 72 5 Poison and Panacea 116 Appendix: Botanical Descriptions 131 Recipes 139 References 151 Bibliography 157 Websites and Associations 159 Acknowledgements 163 Photo Acknowledgements 165 Index 169 Introduction There are few more welcome sights to a hungry hiker than a bush heavy with ripe berries. Humans aren’t the only crea- tures to know the joys of berries; they’re loved by birds, squirrels and insects; they sufficiently fatten bears for hiber- nation through the winter. North America commercially produces far more berries than any other region in the world – more than two million tonnes in 2012 – with Russia coming in a distant second place at 710,000 tonnes. As their national symbol the bear does, Russians, too, adore berries; their word for ‘buttocks’, yagoditsy, literally translates as ‘little berries’. Because berry-producing plants tend to prefer moist, acidic humus (especially in volcanic soils), they grow best in the temperate regions of the world which also support vast forests. Berries may not be fussy about where they grow, but they are so delicate that they are largely produced for local consumption rather than global shipping. No berries rank in the top ten fruits produced worldwide, but their following is ardent. Berries are much more than mere pie fillings and jams: they’re sacred medicine, spiritual totems and deadly weapons. So many of us hailing from northern climes have fond childhood memories involving berries: filling empty margarine 7 tubs with wild blackberries from grassy urban alleys and weedy field edges; eating dewy, coral-hued berries from a (poison- ous) yew and somehow avoiding death; cruelly tricking a younger brother into eating bittersweet nightshade berries just to watch his face screw up in disgust; trying mealy haw- thorn berries more than once to see if they were worth the spines, and deciding that they were perhaps not. Some pick them on pastoral farmlands, some in the hallowed forests, some on scabby marshes. We have done this since time immemorial, and will for ever more. This little book cannot possibly provide a comprehensive discussion of each and every berry, but it will attempt to shed light on some of the better-loved berries of the world and some of the compelling reasons they have been so adored. Be they a staple foodstuff, a fad or exalted in ancient, sacred lore, berries are part of our human history. 8 1 Botany A berry is rightfully defined as any fruit whose seeds are enclosed in fleshy pulp and covered with a thin skin. But a berry can be so much more. Everyone knows what one means when one speaks of berries. Most people will not think of a banana or an orange when a berry is mentioned, and nor will most fret that a strawberry is, botanically speaking, something else entirely. Berries are a counter-intuitive and perplexing lot. Botanically, ‘berry’ is a broadly defined term that includes tomatoes, persimmons, coffee beans and kiwifruit. Mind- bogglingly, it also includes the sturdy, rind-bearing fruit known as pepos, such as cucumbers, melons and papaya. A banana is technically a leathery berry, and segmented fruits with a pliable rind, such as citrus, are a type of berry called a hesperidium. The odd-looking cherimoya (custard apple) is an aggregate of berries. Berries are indehiscent; that is, they do not split open when ripe, as do milkweed pods, say. Botanically, a berry-like fruit is said to be baccate, meani ng ‘pearl-like’. This is unrelated to the word ‘bacchanal’, an occa sion of wild and wine-drunken revelry, named for the Graeco-Roman wine god Bacchus. (Grapes are also true berries, but they warrant their own book and are therefore ignored here.) 9
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