Its English common names includecloudberry,[2]Nordic berry,bakeapple (inNewfoundland and Labrador),knotberry andknoutberry (in England),aqpik orlow-bush salmonberry (inAlaska – not to be confused with salmonberry,Rubus spectabilis),[3]averin orevron (inScotland),[4][5] andchicoutai amongst English speakers inQuebec.
Unlike mostRubus species, the cloudberry isdioecious, and fruit production by a female plant requires pollination from a male plant.[6]
The cloudberry grows to 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) high.[6] Theleaves alternate between having five and seven soft, handlike lobes on straight, branchless stalks. After pollination, the white (sometimes reddish-tipped)flowers form raspberry-sizedaggregate fruits, which are more plentiful in wooded rather than sun-exposed habitats.[6] Consisting of between five and 25drupelets, each fruit is initially pale red, ripening into an amber color in early autumn.
Cloudberries are a circumpolar boreal plant, occurring naturally throughout the Northern Hemisphere from 78°N, south to about 55°N, and are scattered south to 44°N mainly in mountainous areas andmoorlands.[6] In Europe, they grow in theNordic countries, but are rare in theBaltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) andPoland.[6] They are present in the EnglishPennines and theScottish Highlands, while a single, fragile site exists in theSperrin Mountains ofNorthern Ireland.[11] They occur across northernRussia east towards thePacific Ocean as far south asJapan in the island ofHokkaido.[6]
Wide distribution occurs due to the excretion of the indigestible seeds by birds and mammals. Further distribution arises through itsrhizomes, which are up to 10 m (33 ft) long and grow about 10–15 cm (4–6 in) below the soil surface, developing extensive and dense berry patches.[6] Cuttings of these taken in May or August are successful in producing a geneticclone of the parent plant.[13] The cloudberry grows inbogs,marshes,wet meadows, andtundra, and at elevations of 1,400 m (4,600 ft) above sea level inNorway, requiringacidic ground (between 3.5 and 5.0 pH).[6]
Despite great demand as a delicacy (particularly inSweden, Norway, andFinland), the cloudberry is not widely cultivated and is primarily a wild plant. Wholesale prices vary widely based on the size of the yearly harvest, but cloudberries have retailed for as little as €10/kg (in 2004).[16]
Since the middle of the 1990s, however, the species has formed part of a multinational research project. Beginning in 2002, selectedcultivars have been available to farmers, notably 'Apolto' (male), 'Fjellgull' (female), and 'Fjordgull' (female).[citation needed] Finnish self-pollinated 'Nyby' variety is monoecious, i.e. the female and male flowers are located in the same plant unit.[17] The cloudberry can be cultivated in Arctic areas where few other crops are possible, for example along the northern coast of Norway.[citation needed]
When ripe, cloudberry fruits are golden-yellow, soft, and juicy, and are rich invitamin C.[6] When eaten fresh, cloudberries have a distinctive tart taste. When over-ripe, they have a creamy texture somewhat like yogurt and a sweet flavor.[18] They are often made intojams,juices, tarts, and liqueurs. In Finland, the berries are eaten with heatedleipäjuusto (a local cheese; the name translates to "bread-cheese"), as well ascream andsugar. In Sweden, cloudberries (hjortron, also known in northern Sweden assnattren)[19] and cloudberry jam are used as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, and waffles. Cloudberryfilmjölk (soured milk) is available in supermarkets.[citation needed]
In Norway, they are often mixed withwhipped cream and sugar to be served as a dessert calledmoltekrem (cloudberry cream), as a jam or as an ingredient in homemade ice cream. Cloudberry yoghurt—molte- ormulteyoughurt—is a supermarket item in Norway.[20]
InNewfoundland and Labrador, Canada, cloudberries are used to make 'bakeapple pie', jams, jellies, fruit wines, and toppings for cheesecakes and ice cream. They are also frequently included in flavourings for beer, herbal teas, ice cream, alcoholic cocktails, and kombucha.
ArcticYup'ik mix the berries withseal oil,reindeer orcaribou fat (which is diced and made fluffy with seal oil) and sugar to make "Eskimo ice cream" orakutaq.[6] The recipes vary by region. Along theYukon andKuskokwim River areas, white fish (pike) along with shortening and sugar are used. The berries are an important traditional food resource for the Yup'ik.[citation needed]
Due to its high vitamin C content,[6] the berry is valued both byNordic seafarers and Northernindigenous peoples. Itspolyphenol content, includingflavonoid compounds such asellagic acid, appears to naturally preserve food preparations of the berries.[6] Cloudberries can be preserved in their own juice without added sugar, if stored cool.[21]
Extract of cloudberries is also used in cosmetics such as shower gels, hand creams' and body lotions.[citation needed]
InNordic countries, traditionalliqueurs such aslakkalikööri (Finland) are made of cloudberry,[22] having a strong taste and high sugar content. In Sweden, cloudberry flavoured gin is produced in limited quantities.[23] Cloudberry is used as a flavouring for makingakvavit. In northeasternQuebec, a cloudberry liqueur known aschicoutai (Innu-aimun name) is made.[24] InNewfoundland and Labrador, cloudberries (called "bakeapples") are used to make fruit wine, bitters, or are brewed into beer.
In some northern European countries such as Norway, a common-use policy on non-wood forest products allows anyone to pick cloudberries on public property and eat them on location, but only local residents may transport them from that location.[27][28][29] Transporting ripe cloudberries from the harvest location is permitted in many countries.[27]
Harvesting unripe cloudberries in Norway was illegal between 1970 and 2004.[30][31] Many people believe that it is still illegal to harvest unripe cloudberries in Norway, but that law is no longer in effect.[31]
The cloudberry appears on the Finnish version of the2 euro coin.[32] The name of the hillBeinn nan Oighreag inBreadalbane in the Scottish Highlands means "Hill of the Cloudberries" inScottish Gaelic.[33] Transactions of Camden's Britain (1637 edition) indicate the etymological origins of 'cloud-berry', the plant's name in old Lancashire dialect: 'Pendelhill [in Lancashire] advenceth itselfe up the skie ... and in the very top thereof bringeth forth a peculiar plant which, as though it came out of the clowdes, they tearme clowdes-berry'.[34] InNorrland cloudberries are known as Norrland's gold.[35]
InNewfoundland and Labrador, several communities, including Garnish and Forteau, host festivals celebrating the harvest of cloudberries.
^Jaakkola, M; Korpelainen, V; Hoppula, K; Virtanen, V (2012). "Chemical composition of ripe fruits ofRubus chamaemorus L. grown in different habitats".Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.92 (6):1324–30.Bibcode:2012JSFA...92.1324J.doi:10.1002/jsfa.4705.PMID22083544.
^Kähkönen, M; Kylli, P; Ollilainen, V; Salminen, J-P; Heinonen, M (2012). "Antioxidant activity of isolated ellagitannins from red raspberries and cloudberries".J Agric Food Chem.60 (5):1167–74.Bibcode:2012JAFC...60.1167K.doi:10.1021/jf203431g.PMID22229937.
^McDougall, G. J.; Martinussen, I; Junttila, O; Verrall, S; Stewart, D (2011). "Assessing the influence of genotype and temperature on polyphenol composition in cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.) using a novel mass spectrometric method".Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.59 (20):10860–8.Bibcode:2011JAFC...5910860M.doi:10.1021/jf202083b.PMID21916411.
^"Cloudberry".Sierra Club BC. 15 December 2016. Retrieved23 October 2022.Cloudberry is a relative of the raspberry. It has toothed leaves, white flowers in June-July and yellow-orange berries that ripen in August-September...You can find cloudberries in Canada, Scandinavia, Greenland, Russia and the US.
^Kartesz, John T. (2014)."Rubus chamaemorus".State-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
^K. Rapp (1986). "Vegetativ oppformering av molte (Rubus chamaemorus L.)".Jord og Myr.10:1–11.
^"Chicoutai" (in French). terroirsquebec.com. Archived fromthe original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved7 April 2013.
^Laine, P; Kylli, P; Heinonen, M; Jouppila, K (2008). "Storage stability of microencapsulated cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) phenolics".Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.56 (23):11251–61.Bibcode:2008JAFC...5611251L.doi:10.1021/jf801868h.PMID18989975.
^Pyysalo, T; Honkanen, E (1977). "The influence of heat on the aroma of cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus L.)".Zeitschrift für Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung.163 (1):25–30.doi:10.1007/BF01123552.PMID835340.S2CID29831932.
Resvoll, T. R. (1929). "Rubus chamaemorus L. A morphological - biological study".Nytt Magasin for Naturvidenskapene.67:55–129.
Resvoll, T. R. (1925). "Rubus chamaemorus L. Die geographische Verbreitung der Pflanze und ihre Verbreitungsmittel".Veröffentlichungen des Geobotanischen Institutes Rübel in Zürich (in German).3:224–241.
