Barberry

How to use barberry in your dishes?

Barberry is a small berry with multiple uses, suitable for both sweet and savory dishes.

Some suggestions for using barberry

Barberry will add a touch of zest and originality to semolina cakes, cakes, crumbles, or even with chocolate. It will also elevate your jams and jellies and harmonizes very well with other dried fruits. On the savory side, barberry pairs perfectly with game and roasted meats. In the Khorasan region of Iran, an area well-known to saffron enthusiasts, barberry is traditionally dried and then mixed with fish, eggs, white meats, and rice. As evidence, the traditional Iranian recipe "zereshk polow", chicken rice with barberry.

Barberry can also be used in drinks. Combined with green anise and star anise, it allows for a healthy and light infusion. It can also be macerated to make wine.

Our tip: we recommend rinsing it and then sautéing it in butter before using, to rehydrate it. For optimal preservation, you can store it in the freezer.

The tangy flavors of barberry

Known for its sweet and sour flavor and tangy taste, barberry brightens up both sweet and savory dishes! It can replace raisins or cranberries, adding a touch of originality to your dish.

Barberry and its botany

How does barberry grow?

Originally from Iran, the botanical name of barberry, also called "zereshk", is berberis vulgaris. The shrub can grow up to 3 meters in height and easily grows on all kinds of soils. The small berries form clusters and are consumed only when they mature.

Barberry in France

Essential in Iranian cuisine, barberry was systematically eradicated from French fields during the 19th century. It was indeed conducive to the development of wheat "rust", a disease loathed by farmers. Thus, it persisted only in the mountainous areas of France where it was used for its green and red berries, its leaves, and its bark.