Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer
PHOTO BY SHELLY-ANN THOMPSON
Welcome to Food's Black History Month feature and our series - The Black in Foods. For the month of February, we will be highlighting some foods that either start with the word Black or incorporate the word in their names. We kick off the feature this week with a sweet look at blackberries.
SAY THE WORD blackberry today and tech-savvy individuals will immediately think you are referring to the sophisticated hand-held telephone that does just about everything a computer can. But these tiny black fleshy edible berries are most popular in countries like England and the United States. Believe it or not, they are grown right here in Jamaica, mostly in cooler areas and for commercial purposes they are imported. However, they more often than not show up as a wine or brandy.
In Europe, the fruit is a delight for fruit lovers; like grapes, they are easy to pop into the mouth and have as a snack. But they also work wonders in creamy desserts or as an exciting addition to a bowl of yoghurt. Plump, sweet blackberries grow wild across most of North America and are a good source of manganese and tannins. The blackberry is an aggregate fruit that is a cluster of many smaller fruits called drupes. The blackberry is actually an ancient fruit, prescribed by the ancient Greeks for gout, mentioned in the Bible, and commonly written about in British folklore.
The fruit is very dark purple with smooth, fragile skin. In the middle of the cluster is a greenish-white core that extends to almost the bottom of the berry. Blackberries can be easily confused with raspberries, but raspberries (including black raspberries) have a hollow centre.
Blackberries are red and hard when they are immature and turn from deep purple to black and shiny when they ripen.
Blackberries are a fairly good source of iron and Vitamin C. They are eaten fresh; in preserves, conserves, jams, cakes, or jellies; and in baked goods, particularly cobblers and pies.
In Jamaica, Lascelles Wines and Spirits' Lilifield Blackberry Brandy is popular among cake and puree' makers. Distributed island-wide, the brandy is used for drink mixing, baking and making of liqueurs.
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS
Due to the high level of nutritional benefits of blackberries, nutritionists and those who are health conscious, such as persons in Asia, are endorsing the fruit. Like many dark-purple fruits, blackberries are a good source of antioxidants. Franny Mahfood, nutritionist at the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, notes that the berries are wonderful snack items. "It is high in fibre, and low in carbohydrates and calories. This makes it a preferred fruit when dieting especially for persons who are weight conscious," says Mrs. Mahfood.
One cup of blackberries has only 72 calories (18 grams of carbohydrates), and they are also high in soluble fibre that has been known to lower cholesterol in the blood. Another nutritional factor that makes the berries exceptional, says Mrs. Mahfood, is that the fruits contain antioxidants (Vitamin A and C) that fight against free radicals in the body.
The tannins found in blackberries also aid with astringic effects.
The drawback with blackberries, says Mrs. Mahfood, is that the fruits are seasonal and expensive. At corporate area supermarkets, one pound of blackberries is sold for approximately $500. And a small container with just over a dozen costs $292.00. However to get the nutritional values of blackberries, by-products such as jellies, jams and others can be had. "You can't beat that blackberries are rich with nutrition and that they are a delicious tasting fruit. But they are very expensive and very few persons might be able to afford them."
Despite cost, one lover of exotic fruits and foods such as blackberry is Nicky Feanny, managing director of Rum, Roast and Royals. The sweet and tart taste of blackberries has commanded him to love the fruit. "Blackberries are fabulous, I love them more every time I eat them. They are very delicate, nice and enjoyable. Like eating exotic grapes," says Mr. Feanny.
Blackberries, he says, are about quarter the size of a grape but provide a magnificent treat. "For something that small to have that powerful taste, it's wonderful."
Like many other blackberry lovers in Jamaica, he purchases the imported fruits at supermarkets such as Loshusan in Kingston. "It's expensive but I have to indulge," he says.
Blackberry is usually prickly, fruit-bearing bush of the genus Rubus (family Rosaceae), native chiefly to the north temperate regions of the old and new world; the thornless blackberry is a modern development. The blackberry is particularly abundant in eastern North America and on the Pacific coast; in the British Isles and western Europe it is a common copse and hedge plant. The bush is characterised by its usually biennial, prickly, erect, semi-erect, or trailing stems; leaves with usually three or five oval, coarsely toothed, stalked leaflets, many of which persist through the winter; white, pink, or red flowers in terminal clusters; and black or red-purple fruits, each consisting of numerous droplets adhering to a juicy core.
Additional information taken from: http://www.hort. purdue.edu/ext/senior/fruits/blackberry1.htm; and the Britannica. http://www. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=64286-black-foods-beauty-foods-amino-acids
