Berberis vulgaris, also known as common barberry,[3]European barberry or simply barberry, is a
shrub in the genus Berberis native to the
Old World. It produces edible but sharply acidic berries, which people in many countries eat as a tart and refreshing fruit.
Description
It is a
deciduousshrub growing up to 4 metres (13 feet) high. The
leaves are small oval, 2–5 centimetres (3⁄4–2 inches) long and 1–2 centimetres (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) broad, with a serrated margin; they are borne in clusters of 2–5 together, subtended by a three-branched spine 3–8 millimetres (1⁄8–5⁄16 in) long. The
flowers are yellow, 4–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) across, produced on 3–6 cm (1+1⁄8–2+3⁄8 in) long
panicles in late spring. The
fruit is an oblong red
berry 7–10 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) long and 3–5 mm (1⁄8–3⁄16 in) broad, ripening in late summer or autumn.
The edible berries,[9] though rich in
vitamin C, have a very sharp or sour flavour and are not widely consumed because the thorny shrubs make them difficult to harvest.
In Europe, the berries have been traditionally used as an ingredient in making
jam. The berries are high in
pectin which makes the jam congeal as it cools after having been boiled. In southwestern Asia, especially Iran, the berries are used for cooking, as well as for jam-making. In Iran, barberries are commonly used as a currant in
rice pilaf.
زرشکzerešk is the
Persian name for the dried
fruit of Berberis spp., particularly also that of Berberis integerrima called زرشک
بیدانهzerešk bi-dâne, literally 'seedless barberry',[10] which is widely cultivated in
Iran. Iran is the largest producer of zerešk.
The
South Khorasan province in
Iran is the main area of zerešk and
saffron production in the world, especially around
Birjand and
Qaen. About 85% of production is in Qaen and about 15% in Birjand. There is evidence of cultivation of seedless barberry in South Khorasan two hundred years ago.[11] A garden of zerešk is called زرشکستانzerešk-
estân. Zerešk is widely used in cooking, imparting a tart flavour to chicken dishes. It is usually cooked with
rice, called زرشک
پلوzerešk polo, and provides a meal with chicken.
Other uses
The plant has been widely cultivated for hedges in
New Zealand.[12]
A
decoction of the plant has been used as a folk medicine to treat
gastrointestinal ailments and coughs,[13] although its use has been limited due to the bitter taste of the bark and root.[14][15]
See also
Berberis microphylla, calafate (a related shrub with similar berries, native in temperate South America)
References
^1885 illustration from Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany
^
abUSDA, NRCS (n.d.).
"Berberis vulgaris". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
^Alemardan, Ali; Asadi, Wahab; Rezaei, Mehdi; Tabrizi, Leila; Mohammadi, Siavash (2013). "Cultivation of Iranian seedless barberry (Berberis integerrima 'Bidaneh'): A medicinal shrub". Industrial Crops and Products. 50: 276–87.
doi:
10.1016/j.indcrop.2013.07.061.
^Tehranifar, A. (2003).
"Barberry Growing in Iran". In Lee, J-M.; Zhang, D. (eds.). XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Asian Plants with Unique Horticultural Potential: Genetic Resources, Cultural Practices, and Utilization. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 620. pp. 193–5.
ISBN978-90-66054-00-4. Archived from
the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2014.