Rita Gordon CSJ on behalf of the Federation Ecology Committee
A new Canadian species of fruit has shown up in our Farmers Market last summer—haskap berries. Haskap is the Japanese name of the Ainu people of Northern Japan for fruit meaning “berry of long life and good vision.” The berry has a very high anti-oxidant level (higher than blueberry), high in vitamin C and A, and also high in fibre and potassium.
The species is native to the boreal forests of Asia, Europe, and North America. When the fruit was introduced to Alberta, Canada in the 1950’s the fruit was very bitter and not palatable. The University of Saskatchewan took on a big initiative of perfecting the species and making it more adaptable for Canadian growing and usage. Today the berry has a unique raspberry/blueberry flavour with a bit of zing to it. The fruit of the haskap plant is oblong in shape with a dusty indigo colour. Besides home usage like juicing, baking, and berry preserving, the food industry is also interested in getting in on the prize for their marketing. It can be used as food colouring, for textile dyes and perhaps someday you may even find it sold as a really good burgundy wine.
The plant attracts few pests, has no thorns, no suckers, tends to fruit when young and ripens very early in the spring even before strawberries. What is interesting about haskap is that it is drought and cold climate friendly. There are at least five varieties of haskap seedlings available on the open market. It is important to know that when planting haskap there must be a pollinator plant close by. For example, say you want to plant five plants of the Tundra variety. There must be a different variety like Boreallis to act as the pollinator for the other five plants. Bees and insects will carry pollen from one flower to another once that arrangement is in place. Because haskaps are the first spring plants to flower they provide a major source of food for bees, flies and other insects.
It is hopeful that someday this berry can grow as plentiful as the blueberry. Wouldn’t that be great if this new species could grow in areas most needed where good nutrition is lacking.
Haskap Vinaigrette
1/3 cup crushed berries
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour into a container and serve on greens of any kind or try it on a wild rice and walnut salad.
