Chapters 4.43
4.43. Grayberries / Stink Currant / Sunberry / Blue Currant
Andrew Matthews , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Matthews,A. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Introduction
The wild grayberry (Ribes bracteosum) was and still is an important part of Indigenous culture. The plant itself was used historically as a source of food and can be preserved using a variety of techniques. Today the coverage of this plant spans across the west coast of Canada and the United States. The intended purpose of this paper is to help educate Canadians on the grayberry species, as well as the history of this plant and the significance grayberries have to this day.
Plant And Species Information
The name “grayberry” is one of several names given to the plant species Ribes bracteosum, other names for this plant include “stink currant”, “sunberry” or “blue currant”. Most of these names stem from either the physical quality of the plant or from the specific behaviour(s) of the plant. For instance, the names grayberry and blue currant connect to the overall appearance of the fruit the plant produces as the fruit tends to have a bluish-gray appearance (see Figure 1.0). On the other hand, the name stink currant is derived from the behaviour of the plant where if any part of it is brushed or bruised, the entire plant will release a musky odour similar to but more pronounced than the closely related Ribes nigrum L. variety (Anderson, 1943; Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). For the purpose of this entry, this plant will mostly be referred to as “grayberry” or “stink currant” depending on what is being discussed about the plant.
The grayberry plant is a tall, upright deciduous shrub that ranges from 1 meter to 2.5 meters tall, with relatively large leaves, and is described as long-stalked and palmately lobed (Anderson, 1943; Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Furthermore, the leaves separate into between 5 to 7 toothed lobes that each end with sharpened points, with each leaf coated in resinous dots (Anderson, 1943; Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The flowers of this wild plant consist of many tiny flowers which are arranged in elongated clusters that range in colouration from light green to white (refer to figure 2.0) (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The berries are round with a blue pigment and are coated in a whitish coat which gives the berries a waxy blue-gray appearance, hence the name grayberry (refer to figure 1.0) (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The taste of the berries was said to be slightly bland but was in no way unpleasant, although it is claimed that when consuming these berries fresh and on its own, it would result in feelings of constipation or stomach aches, which was why it was traditionally consumed alongside other food items (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991).
Historical Background
Many Indigenous peoples have used grayberries for centuries. The berries of this plant would typically be picked between the latter weeks of summer and early fall, typically between the months of August and September (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Traditionally, this crop would either be eaten fresh or would be dried or baked to preserve the fruit for extended periods of time (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Some peoples including the Nuxalk people located in Bella Coola, as well as the Haida people would traditionally gather this berry in large quantities (Kuhnlein & Turner). Some peoples, such as the Kwakwaka’wakw people would traditionally consume this berry raw at informal gatherings and would use spoons that were made from mountain-goat horns, where it would also be consumed alongside large quantities of ooligan grease or with oils obtained from seals or whales (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Other peoples would also bake these berries by boiling the fruit until a jam-like consistency was reached, where it would then be consumed with the addition of oil, and animal/fish grease, with sugar and molasses becoming another option later (Kuhnlein & Turner). Some peoples took this practice of boiling these berries even further with peoples such as the Kaigani Haida who had a practice to preserve this fruit for extended periods of time (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). To preserve the berries, this fruit was first boiled in wooden boxes, and would then be transferred to wooden frames lined with skunk-cabbage leaves to act as a mold as the berry mixture was baked over a slow fire, eventually drying out and becoming dry cakes that could be stored for long periods, only requiring water to rehydrate the cakes (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The grayberry plant is a plant that holds a historical significance as a food source for many Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, which not only could be consumed fresh or as a jam, but a source of nutrition that could be preserved for the harshest times of the year.
Geographical Origins
Grayberry is typically found in the western province of British Columbia and is common in southern Alaska and spans all the way down to the west coast of California (refer to figure 3.0) (Anderson, 1943). This plant grows optimally in wet environments such as in streambanks, swamps, and moist woods, found in these regions(Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991).
Growth Conditions
Like any other plant, grayberry requires specific conditions in order to flourish in its environment. As stated in the section “Geographical Origins”, the grayberry plant requires a wet, moist environment in order to flourish whether the environment is a swamp, streambank, or moist woods (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). This is further supported by a study that analyzed 22 streams in the Oregon coastal mountains that measured the average vegetative growth of various plants by recording the average growth by 5-meter increments for the streams, with grayberries having the most coverage the closer the plants were to the riverbank (Minore & Weatherly, 1993). Other factors such as soil composition and light aren’t as thoroughly explored but it can be interpreted that since the grayberry plant grows best on the forest floor in environments such as swamps and moist woods, it may optimally grow in low-light locations.
Associated Indigenous Peoples
Due to grayberries growing across the west coast of North America, many peoples used and still use the plant. The grayberry plant was typically utilized by the peoples of the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, as well as other peoples in neighbouring areas (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Some of these peoples include the Nuxalk, Haida, and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Many of these peoples have developed many practices to consume this plant and to have a more in-depth understanding of how these Indigenous peoples use grayberry, refer to “Historical Background”.
Nutritional Values
When referring to Table 1.0, the grayberry plant is very similar from a nutritional standpoint to the common grape(Vitis spp.). When compared to the common grape, grayberries are slightly lower in carbs, and are higher in fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and other minerals (“Grapes, american type (slip skin), raw”, 2019; Kuhnlein, 1989). Although grayberries are nutritionally similar to the common grape, this can be a better source of essential minerals and a better source of fiber.
Summary
Overall, grayberry (Ribes bracteosum) is an upright deciduous shrub that produces round berries with a blue pigment and are coated in a whitish coat (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Grayberry thrives in wet, moist environments which can include swamps, streambanks, and moist woods (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). This plant has been used by many indigenous peoples including peoples from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia and from other neighbouring areas, who would prepare this berry fresh or cooked with the addition of other ingredients or would boil and dry the berries into dried cakes (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Although this plant is nutritionally similar to other plant species such as the common grape (Vitis spp.), grayberry as a species, was and still is an important part of Indigenous culture.
References
1.Anderson, J. P. (1943). Two notable plant hybrids from Alaska. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 50(1), 155-157. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol50/iss1/7
2.Burger, B. (2016). File:Swamp, Swan Lake (24626021641).jpg[photograph]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swamp,_Swan_Lake_(24626021641).jpg
3.Kuhnlein, H. V. (1989). Nutrient values in Indigenous wild berries used by the Nuxalk People of Bella Coola, British Columbia. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2, 28-36.. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0889157589900598?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=766aac8a2af7a222
4.Kuhnlein, H.V., & Turner, N.J. (1991). Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers Minore, D., & Weatherly, H.G. (1993). Riparian trees, shrubs, and forest regeneration in the coastal mountains of Oregon. New Forests, 8, 249-263. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00025371.pdf
5.Siegmund, W. (2007). File:Ribes bracteosum 26338.JPG [photograph]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ribes_bracteosum_26338.JPG
6.Siegmund, W. (2008). File:Ribes bracteosum 9135.JPG [photograph]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ribes_bracteosum_9135.JPG
7.U.S. Department of Agriculture (2014). Ribes bracteosum Douglas ex Hook. Retrieved from: https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=RIBR
8.U.S. Department of Agriculture (2019). Grapes, american type (slip skin), raw. Retrieved from:
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174682/nutrients