Chapter 4.5

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Suggested citation for this chapter.

Engin,E. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Origins

Rosehip was used 4000 years ago by the Persian Empire. In North America, Rosehip was first grown and was used by Indigenous Peoples including Vanta Kutchin, Chipewyan, Cree, Blackfoot, Stoney Gitksan, Okanagan-Colville, the Slave, Lillooet, Chilcotin, and various native peoples of Alaska (Turner 2020). The hips were gathered from late August through the winter in times of necessity. Typically, they grow in open woods, thickets and rocky slopes (Giese, 1995). In Canada this includes the interior of British Columbia to Quebec, north to Alaska, Yukon and southern Northwest Territories (Turner 2020).

Plant Description

Rosehips are the fruits of Rosa genus in the Rosaceae family which contain around 100 species that are widely spread across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. The most prevalent plant containing rosehips found and consumed by Indigenous peoples around North America was Rosa Acicularis. Many other rose species which contained ‘hips’ were used by Indigenous communities. The hips of Nootka rose, and Swamp rose were used in the Northwest Coast and in neighbouring communities of British Columbia, Alaska and Washington. (Mármol, I., Sánchez-de-Diego, C., Jiménez-Moreno et al. 2017, Turner 2020). Arkansas rose fruits were a starvation food for the Blackfoot, and other Plains groups. The young leaves and stalks of dwarf wild rose, or bald hip rose were sometimes used for tea (Turner 2020). They grow up to 1m tall with the leaves pinnately divided into 5-7 elliptical leaflets. Leaflets are 1 to 1¾ inch long and 2/3 to 1 inch wide, with serrated edges. The rose is very appealing, it has 5 pink petals (rarely white) and yellow centers with numerous anthers. The rosehips usually reddish to purplish, and pear-shaped. Inside there are several light brown seeds (Encyclopedia.com, 2021).

Benefits

Rosehip was an important food during the winter because it was able to remain on the bushes and be kept throughout the winter. The flavor was also said to improve with exposure to frost. Furthermore, the Slave tribe has claimed they are good for the stomach of a starving person. Rosehip was an ideal source of vitamin-C during harsh winter months when most other citrus fruits were not available (Turner 2020). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect cells against the effects of molecules produced when our body is exposed to possibly harmful things like X-rays, sunlight, and tobacco smoke. These potentially dangerous molecules are called free radicals and possibly contribute to heart disease and cancer (“Mayo Foundation”, 2020). Modern research shows there is many positive remedies rosehip can have on us. Rosehip contains many antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and lycopene which can help with digestions, facilitating fat metabolism, help the immune system fight of foreign invaders and more (Wong 2020). Rosehip also protects joint and connective tissues, in fact clinical studies have shown rose hip alleviates osteoarthritis (OA) because it contains polyphenol (Schwager, J., Hoeller et al. 2011). Polyphenolic compounds suppress oxidative stress and inflammation in OA joints (Mohammad et al., 2020).

Dangers and side effects

Apart from its beneficial properties, rosehip can react badly with the digestive system depending on the individual and should be consumed with some caution and not excessively. Rosehip’s possible side effects are kidney stones, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, fatigue, inability to sleep, stomach cramps and headache (Cunha, 2021). Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant for our body, but depending on the person it is not always needed. Therefore, when consumed in high amounts or when not needed, Vitamin C can be the cause of diabetes, kidney stones or even anemia. Vitamin C affects how much iron can be absorbed by your body. If used for skincare, rosehip oil is rarely dangerous except in the case of an allergic reaction. Just like any other skincare product it should first be patch-tested on a small section of the face or body, then used as suggested (Jay, K. 2019).

Cultivation and environment

Botanically speaking, rosehip is considered a false fruit and it’s the seeds found in the rosehip that are the fruit of the rose. They can be planted alone or as hedges in wilder areas of the forest. Depending on the rose species, they can grow in clusters, in small groups of three to four hips or as a single fruit by itself (Smith, T. S. 2019). Rosehip is very resistant to extreme climatic conditions and can grow at sea level up to 2500 meters. Although it is frost and drought resistant, sufficient rainfall is preferred because it increases the fruit size during the vegetation period. Rosehip best develops near rivers due to its very deep roots (TaKiMo Agriculture, year ). Like its climate requirements, rosehip is not picky with its soil requirements, and can grow on soils with different structures. However, they show the best growth in loose soils rich in nutrients with a pH between 6.5-7. They also like moisture in the soil (Mills, D. 2014). The flowering of the plant happens somewhere between April and June and lasts 15-25 days. The fruits ripen in mid-August to early October depending on the rose species and the ecological conditions of where the plant was planted. When it comes to reproduction rosehip seeds do not germinate easily because they contain high levels of Abscisic acid. Germination rates can be increased by germination with concentrated H2SO4 (Sulfuric Acid) for 5 minutes which increases the germination rate by 24%-60% (TaKiMo Agriculture, date). The fruits which have turned orange or red are harvested from the plant. The fruit is then cut slightly on both ends and split in half. Once the seeds are all scooped out the fruit, they are ready to be used for consumption or storage (Mills, D. 2014).

Consumption

There were many ways rose hips were consumed. The outer rind of the fruit could be eaten fresh, especially by children, but if the seeds of rose hip are eaten, they cause irritation to the digestive tract, and are said to cause an "itchy bottom," due to the presence of tiny, sharp hairs on the seeds (Turner, 2020). The most common way of consumption was to boil the rosehip into tea or a “brew”. In Alaska, the Inupiaq Eskimo ate the rinds of rose hips fresh and sometimes mashed them with seal oil and water to form a sweet pudding (Turner, 2020). The people of Tanaina sometimes mixed them with grease or fish eggs or whipped them with fat to make a sort of “ice cream”. Rosehips were not the only part of the plant to be used for consumption. The leaves of the plant and other rose species were used for in-pit cooking by the Okanagan-Colville. In-pit cooking is quite literal, where a deep pit is dug in the ground and wood, or coal is put in it. The food is then put on to the fire usually covered with something to trap the heat and cook it properly. Roses were used as a spice to enhance the flavour of the meat being cooked. (Turner, 2020). Today, there are many ways rosehip is consumed and a lot of it is inspired or directly taken from the Indigenous peoples. The most common way of consumption of rosehip is still tea, but rosehips can be fried and eaten as well. Boiled rose hips can be mashed and strained through a cheese cloth for removal of the seeds this will prevent the “itchy bottom”, then the strained juice can be made into jam, jelly or syrup (Gwich'in Social & Cultural Institute, 2016). After the discovery of rosehip’s countless benefits, it started to be sold as a medicine in more concentrated forms. For example, rosehip powder has been given to people who suffer from Osteoarthritis. Rosehip was also found to be very healthy for the skin due to its high vitamin C and other amino acids content. Rosehip oil is now a very popular skincare product on the market (Jay, 2019). The tea form of the fruit has become so popular in Europe that the popularity of rosehip tea in Europe drives the whole of rosehip production and importation. Chile is the largest producer of rosehip followed by Bulgaria and Turkey. (“Transparency Market Research”, 2021). There is a significant market potential in Canada for rosehip and it can be utilized through creative marketing and efficient use of resources.

References

1.Cunha, J. P. (2021, August 26). Rose Hips: Generic, Uses, Side Effects, Dosages, Interactions, Warnings. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.rxlist.com/consumer_rose_hips_rosa_canina/drugs-condition.htm

2.Encyclopedia.com. (2021, November 23) ." Gale encyclopedia of alternative medicine. . encyclopedia.com. 25 Oct. 2021 . Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rose-hip.

3.Giese, P. (1995, December 28). Wild Roses: Hips, Haws, Vitamin C.

4.Gwich'in Social & Cultural Institute. (2016, April 20). Wild rose. Wild Rose. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://gwichin.ca/plants/wild-rose.

5.Jay, K. (2019, August 8). Rosehip oil for face: Anti-aging, acne, Dark Circles, and more. Healthline. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/rosehip-oil-for-face.

6.Mármol, I., Sánchez-de-Diego, C., Jiménez-Moreno, N., Ancín-Azpilicueta, C., & Rodríguez-Yoldi, M. J. (2017). Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species. International journal of molecular sciences, 18(6), 1137. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18061137

7.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, November 17). Vitamin C. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-c/art-20363932

8.Mills, D. (2014). Rose Bush for Rose Hips. Rose hips - growing guide for food use. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://wildfoodshomegarden.com/Rose.html.

9.Mohammad Yunus Ansari, Nashrah Ahmad, Tariq M Haqqi. (2020) Oxidative stress and inflammation in osteoarthritis pathogenesis: Role of polyphenols, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 129, 2020, 110452, ISSN 0753-3322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110452.

10.Rosehip Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2027. (2021, December). Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/rosehip-market.html

11.Schwager, J., Hoeller, U., Wolfram, S., & Richard, N. (2011). Rose hip and its constituent galactolipids confer cartilage protection by modulating cytokine, and chemokine expression. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 11, 105. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-105

12.Smith, T. S. (2019, September 20). Rosehips for romance in the garden. Gardens Illustrated. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/winter/rosehips-how-to-grow-garden-rose/.

13.TaKiMo Agriculture. (n.d.). Rosehip Cultivation. Rosehip cultivation. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://takimo.net/EnYet_KusBurnu.aspx.

14.Turner, N. J. (2020). Plants, people and places: The roles of ethnobotany and ethnoecology in indigenous peoples land rights in Canada and beyond. (Vol.96). McGill-Queens University Press-MQUP

15.Wong, C. (2020, August 28). What is Rose Hip and how is it used? Verywell Health. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-rose-hip-89506.