What is it about?
European dewberry, Rubus caesius L. (fam. Rosaceae), played an insignificant role as local food in Sweden before the twentieth century. It is known as salmbär ‘Solomon berries’. From a largely ignored food product with limited regional use in the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, European dewberry has made a quick culinary journey to the top. Inspired by the New Nordic Cuisine movement in the 2000s, several chefs, especially from fine dining restaurants, have created innovative dishes with dewberry jam; it was even served at the Nobel Prize banquet in December 2014. This article discusses the change of status and ascent of a locally used berry to a fashionable dessert in Sweden.
Featured Image
Photo by Jinomono Media on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Today dewberry jam is popular throughout Sweden, and it is usually served during festive occasions with a local Gotland speciality, oven-baked saffron pancake, which symbolizes the food culture of the island. The demand for dewberries has increased together with the development of local tourism, the search for exciting heritage food, and the regional identity building efforts. To understand the contemporary utilization of individual wild food products, ethnobiologists must study the importance of such products both in the historical and present time, and from multiple perspectives. The transformation of dewberry into commercial products ranging from jam to schnapps is an example of how a growing interest in local foods combines with creativity and economic interests. The study highlights both local, global and glocal aspects of the development process.
Perspectives
Will the dewberry make it to a global popularity after a national one in Sweden? The never-ending search for exotic, exciting and special foods, and ingredients has moved from regional and national to a global internet-based community, consisting of hungry for new experiences consumers, whose interests also the tourist businesses increasingly strive to satisfy. Only the future will show!
Dr. Sabira Ståhlberg
Independent Scholar
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Wild European dewberry, Rubus caesius L. (fam. Rosaceae), in Sweden: from traditional regional consumption to exotic dessert at the Nobel Prize banquet, Journal of Ethnic Foods, November 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1186/s42779-021-00114-3.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
