Cloudberry – Symbol of Russian North

If I were asked to name one reason to visit Yamal, I would answer without hesitation: “To try the cloudberry.” Its taste is unlike anything else. There is something truly special about it. No wonder, for example, that pickled cloudberries were among the favourite delicacies of the great Russian poet Aleksander Pushkin.

Different names for the cloudberry

This northern berry has many names. One of them is “Bakeapple,” which it received because it grows on marshy lands. “Reverse berry” refers to its ripening characteristics: at first the cloudberry is bright red, and when it becomes ripe, its colour changes to orange-yellow. Another name is “Nordic berry."

Health benefits of the cloudberry

In terms of vitamins, the Yamal cloudberry is truly unique. The further north the territory, the shorter the summer, meaning the berry has to absorb as many nutrients as possible in a limited time. It’s no coincidence that it contains four times more vitamin C than citrus fruits; this always protected the northern peoples from scurvy. Cloudberries are also rich in pectin, which helped local residents make up for the lack of fibre, as in the harsh northern climate, vegetables and fruits do not grow, and food supplies have always been limited.

The main berry for the Nenets

In the mythology of the indigenous tundra people, the Nenets, the cloudberry was the only food that the god Torum gave to the first humans, forbidding them to eat anything else. However, they disobeyed and gave in to temptation. Since then, the Nenets have had a ritual for gathering cloudberries. In the first clearing where berries are found, they are greased with butter, fat, or syrup so that even more cloudberries will grow there the following year. An important rule: berries in this clearing must not be picked. Gathering continues elsewhere, and when the first berry is picked, they say, “Let this year be a fruitful one.”

Cloudberry – one of the symbols of Yamal

Today this berry serves as a source of inspiration for local craftswomen and artisans. They create jewellery and clothing featuring its image, soap, and cosmetics made with cloudberry purée. In addition, you can try many treats made with this “northern orange”: jam and preserves, pastila, jelly, and Ivan tea with dried berries and cloudberry sepals. On my gastronomic tours, I treat guests to my signature naturally fermented cloudberry kvass.

Lidiya Kvashnina, a resident of the Resource Centre for New Media and a member of the BRICS Bloggers Team project, provided the material.

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