The image, above, shows the full Common Barberry shrub(Berberis vulgaris), right, along with close ups of the
flowers, top left and the ripe fruit, bottom left..
| Common Name: Common Barberry |
| Scientific Name: Berberis vulgaris |
| Other Names: European barberry, Ambarbaris, Barbery, Holy Thorn, Jaundice berry, Pepperidge Bush, Sowberry, Mountain Grape, Oregon Grape, Pipperidge, Piprage, Sauerdom and Vinettier |
| Family: Berberidaceae |
| Range: Barbery Coast of North Africa. Naturalized (or possibly native), in Britain |
Physical Characteristics
Berberis vulgaris is a hardy deciduous shrub, growing to 3m (9 ft) by 2m (6 ft 8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. The plant is in leaf by mid march and it flowers from May to June and its fruit ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects. The plant also self-fertilizes. This shrub is noted as a wildlife attractant.
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| Edible Parts: Fruit, Leaves |
 Edibility Rating: 4 
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 Known Hazards: Though only the bark is known to be toxic (at doses of 4mg or more), use of this plant's leaves is contradicted during pregnancy as an abortion risk.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Common Barberry along with all the Common Barberry containing recipes presented on this site, with 4 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Common Barberry as a major wild food ingredient.
Common Barberry, Berberis vulgaris, (also known as European barberry, Ambarbaris, Barbery, Holy Thorn, Jaundice berry, Pepperidge Bush, Sowberry, Mountain Grape, Oregon Grape, Pipperidge, Piprage, Sauerdom and Vinettier) is a tall, herbaceous shrub of the Berberidaceae (Barberry) family that's native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, but which has been naturalized in northern Europe and Britain so long it is often considered a native. It is a deciduous shrub growing up to 4m high with small oval leaves 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, with a serrated margin that are borne in clusters of 2–5 together, subtended by a three-branched spine 3–8 mm long. The flowers are yellow, 4–6 mm across, produced on 3–6 cm long panicles in late spring. The fruit is an oblong red berry 7–10 mm long and 3–5 mm broad, ripening in late summer or autumn. The plant, except for its fruit and seeds, is mildly poisonous. Its most potent agent is berberine, which is also known to have a number of therapeutical effects. In Europe, the berries are traditionally used for making jam. In southwestern Asia, especially Iran, where they are called zereshk (زرشک), the berries are used for cooking, as well as for making jam. The name derives from the Berber word meaning 'shell', indeed, the plant's name is related to that of the Barbary coast.
Typically, the common barberry is in leaf from March to November, in flower from May to June, and the fruit ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are insect-pollinated. The fruit are edible and noted for being rich in vitamin C and are typically used for pickling and making preserves. In Britain, recipes for using barberry fruit go back to Elizabethan times and they were commonly used in the Victorian period (see the recipes links on this page). The dried young leaves can me made into a refreshing tea and the young leaves can be steamed and used in place of sorrel (but consume with caution — see the notes on toxicity, above).
The thorny nature of barberry means that it is commonly used as a dense hedge in gardens. The common garden cultivar, Berberis thunbergii has fruit most similar to common barberry, Berberis microphylla or Berberis heterophylla (Calafate) and Berberis darwinii (Michay) are two species found in Patagonia in Argentina and Chile (they are also common garden cultivars) and their edible purple fruit are used for jams and infusions. Zereshk (زرشک) is the Persian name for the dried fruit of Berberis vulgaris, which are widely cultivated in Iran. Zereshk is widely used in cooking, imparting a tart flavour to chicken dishes. It is usually cooked with rice, called zereshk polo, and provides a nice meal in combination with chicken. Zereshk jam, zereshk juice, and zereshk fruit rolls are also produced in Iran.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Common Barberry as a major wild food ingredient.
Common Barberry, Berberis vulgaris, (also known as European barberry, Ambarbaris, Barbery, Holy Thorn, Jaundice berry, Pepperidge Bush, Sowberry, Mountain Grape, Oregon Grape, Pipperidge, Piprage, Sauerdom and Vinettier) is a tall, herbaceous shrub of the Berberidaceae (Barberry) family that's native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, but which has been naturalized in northern Europe and Britain so long it is often considered a native. It is a deciduous shrub growing up to 4m high with small oval leaves 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, with a serrated margin that are borne in clusters of 2–5 together, subtended by a three-branched spine 3–8 mm long. The flowers are yellow, 4–6 mm across, produced on 3–6 cm long panicles in late spring. The fruit is an oblong red berry 7–10 mm long and 3–5 mm broad, ripening in late summer or autumn. The plant, except for its fruit and seeds, is mildly poisonous. Its most potent agent is berberine, which is also known to have a number of therapeutical effects. In Europe, the berries are traditionally used for making jam. In southwestern Asia, especially Iran, where they are called zereshk (زرشک), the berries are used for cooking, as well as for making jam. The name derives from the Berber word meaning 'shell', indeed, the plant's name is related to that of the Barbary coast.
Typically, the common barberry is in leaf from March to November, in flower from May to June, and the fruit ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are insect-pollinated. The fruit are edible and noted for being rich in vitamin C and are typically used for pickling and making preserves. In Britain, recipes for using barberry fruit go back to Elizabethan times and they were commonly used in the Victorian period (see the recipes links on this page). The dried young leaves can me made into a refreshing tea and the young leaves can be steamed and used in place of sorrel (but consume with caution — see the notes on toxicity, above).
The thorny nature of barberry means that it is commonly used as a dense hedge in gardens. The common garden cultivar, Berberis thunbergii has fruit most similar to common barberry, Berberis microphylla or Berberis heterophylla (Calafate) and Berberis darwinii (Michay) are two species found in Patagonia in Argentina and Chile (they are also common garden cultivars) and their edible purple fruit are used for jams and infusions. Zereshk (زرشک) is the Persian name for the dried fruit of Berberis vulgaris, which are widely cultivated in Iran. Zereshk is widely used in cooking, imparting a tart flavour to chicken dishes. It is usually cooked with rice, called zereshk polo, and provides a nice meal in combination with chicken. Zereshk jam, zereshk juice, and zereshk fruit rolls are also produced in Iran.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Common Barberry recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 4 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Barberries Preserved in Bunches Origin: Britain | Dried Barberries Origin: Britain |
| Barberry Marmalade Origin: Britain | Zereshk Polo ba Morgh (Saffron Chicken with Barberry Rice) Origin: Iran |
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