We love exploring everything there is to know about the featured ingredient in Superberries products, the Aroniaberry -- its history, how it has influenced modern culinary traditions, its cultural significance, and its effects on health.
The Aronia Berry has been an interesting study in that,
despite its berry-like qualities it's not actually in the berry family. It's
actually in the apple family instead. The bush is of a hearty breed. It's easy
to grow and doesn't need much care or water. The bush is fairly self-reliant
and can survive the intense heat of the summers and the bitter cold of
the harsh winter months. The berries are usually ready for harvest in late
August or early September and can be eaten directly off the bush.
The history of the Aronia Berry is also a fascinating study
as the berry was originally used for a number of purposes by the Native
American cultures in North America. The leaves and twigs of the Aronia Berry
bush were a staple used for medicinal teas and herbal remedies to treat
everything from colic to fever. The juice of the berries was used as dyes, war
paint, and for treating cuts and abrasions. During the long winter months, dried
berries were used to boost nutrition and health among the Native American
tribes. Aronia Berries were also a much used to cure and tenderize various meats.
The cured, tenderized meats were called pemmican (dried meats) and were used
for food during the harsh winter months when game was scarce.
Aronia Berries and the nutritional value that surrounded
them were eventually lost to legend as the United States industrialized and
Native American tribes were moved onto reservations. The cultural shift of the
industrial era and the trend toward modern agriculture sent the Aronia Berry
into relative obscurity on the North American continent. However, as knowledge
of the Aronia Berry waned in the States, the Aronia Berry gained wider prominence
in the Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Poland.
Today, Poland is by far the largest producer of Aronia
Berries in the world, accounting for some 80% of the worldwide production of
Aronia Berries. Because of the high production of Aronia Berries, a number of
medical institutes in Poland have been studying the potential health benefits
of the berry over the years and how it affects everything from bone and joint health
to cardiovascular health. The results of some of these studies have been posted
on the internet or in Doctor Iwona Wawer's book , "The Power of Nature."
The Aronia Berry has begun to regain its once-storied prominence in the United States as medical studies, trends, and
knowledge of the power of antioxidants rise. More Aronia Berry
farms are dotting the landscape in the United States, with the state of Iowa as
the leader accounting for most of the Aronia Berry production in the United States at
this time. Various academic institutions in the United States are also seeking funding
for additional studies on the potential health benefits of the Aronia Berry,
and numerous articles are popping up on the web touting the antioxidant value
found in this purple berry.
The "ditch-weed" once reviled for its astringent taste and
nearly lost to another time is now regaining its spot with the cranberry, the
blueberry, the strawberry, and a host of other "super berries." It has been exciting to see the continued growth and increasing popularity of the Superberries' featured ingredient, the Aronia berry.
Note: The Aronia berry or Chokeberry has continued to capture the interest of health and wellness researchers. To learn about the various research that has been done on the Aroniaberry, go to pubmed.gov and search on the health issue you are interested in, like diabetes. Type in the search bar, Diabetes, and the Aronia berry. Other terms for the Aroniaberry are Chokeberry or Aronia Melanocarpa.
