8 Delicious New Berries to Try Fresh

Are you bored with the same berries you buy from the grocery stores? Strawberries, blueberries, black berries, and raspberries. They are picked too early for easy transportation so they are not the most flavorful. And they usually turn bad and moldy within a few days after purchase. The good news is you can find fresher, uncommon, exotic, and more interesting berry varieties elsewhere. If you buy them at farmers markets or specialty stores at the right season or when you travel to berry growing regions, your taste buds will thank you. 

Goldenberry (Physalis, Cape Gooseberry, Poha berry)

Goldenberry only started to gain popularity in the United State a few years ago. Some grocery stores carry it now but the farmer’s market ones are way better. It’s tangy and sweet. The taste profile is between passion fruit, mango, and pineapple. If you are lucky, you can find poha berry ice cream in Hawaii. It is seriously yummy! Dried goldenberries are more bitter. 

Goldenberry originated in South America but is grown tropical regions worldwide now. It has so many different names but it’s not to be confused with gooseberry. 

White, gold, yellow, white or pink raspberry

If red raspberries taste like red wine, the white, yellow, pink raspberries taste like crisp white wine or rose. They have a more delicate floral aroma and less acidity than red raspberries. 

The season white, yellow and pink raspberries is shorter than that of red raspberries, so I buy them every time I see them at the farmers market. The different shades of color are pretty to look at and more fun for your champaign! 

Huckleberry

Huckleberry ice cream, huckleberry donut, huckleberry pie, huckleberry jam, anyone? My mouth is watering as I write. It tastes a little tarter and deeper than blueberry. The red huckleberries are tarter than the dark purple berries. 

It’s a lot easier to find huckleberry desserts than fresh huckleberries because they grow in high mountain elevations. They are usually quickly frozen or preserved after picking, so buying fresh huckleberry is always on my to-do list when I travel to Pacific North West in summer. Try gourmet food stores, natural food stores, farmers market or farms for fresh ones.

Mulberry

There are several varieties of mulberry and they all taste different. White mulberry, red mulberry, black mulberry, Pakistan (long) mulberry and more. My favorite variety is black mulberry for its tangy and sweet notes of hibiscus, balsamic reduction, and blackberry. It is truly a party in your mouth. Its syrup is also excellent for a drink. 

Mulberries grow in sub-tropical, tropical or mediterranean climates. Summer is the season to buy fresh. The ripe ones are very fragile so when I can, I pick the dark ripe black mulberries directly from the tree – tree to mouth style. 

Wild strawberry

Wild strawberries are much smaller than regular strawberries you buy in store. They basically are a different variety without any type of cross breeding. They have a stronger aroma than the store bought strawberries. 

It is not easy to come across. Seize your chance if you do. 

Currant

The red currant can be very acidic and the black currant very sweet. The black currants have a very nice balance between tartness and sweetness, and the flavor is like a cross between grape, cranberry and blueberry. 

Like many small round berry varieties, currants grow in northern states or countries. If you travel north, you might just see fresh currants in the market! 

Sea buckthorn berry

Sea buckthorn is better known for a skin care ingredient or a natural remedy. It is rich in medicinal compounds and nutrients. As a superfood, sea buckthorn oil or concentrate is the most common form of use.

Sea buckthorn berries are sour. I once had a dish topped with some sea buckthorn berries at a creative restaurant. It’s potently zesty, earthy and citrusy with a hint of mango. It not only complemented the dish well, but it really woke up my taste buds and fired up my neurons. I immediately asked the chef where to buy fresh sea buckthorn berries. 

Frozen sea buckthorn berries are more accessible. They can be use them in smoothie or simply munched on. They are small so the the texture doesn’t change much after freezing. 

Surinam cherry

Surinam cherries almost look too cute to eat, but they are delicious. They have by far the most nuanced flavor of all berries, sweet, tart, earthy, red bell pepper like, and possibly an acquired taste. But for me, it is love at first bite when I pick them ripe directly from the tree. Yes, tree to mouth style. 

Surinam cherry trees grow in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Look out for them in markets or gardens.