WTF is a blackcurrant??

At Athans yesterday, kday ordered blackcurrant gelato because it was pretty. Then she tasted it made a face. It was not a bad face, but rather a face that fully conveyed an intense and unexpected flavor experience. After she calmed down a little, we realized that neither one of us had ever heard of or tasted a blackcurrant. In the spirit of education, dear readers, I went on a side-quest to dig up some information on the blackcurrant.** You’re going to have to put up with these educational posts because, between the two of us, we’re two law students and a former teacher and think that learning things is almost as important as eating gelato (almost).

So. The blackcurrant is a small berry that grows on a bush. It is well suited to growing in the British climate and was consumed regularly during World War II as a source of Vitamin C when other sources of Vitamin C (like oranges) became difficult to obtain. The reason for our collective confusion on the blackcurrant may have something to do with the fact that the U.S. banned the plants in the early 1900s after discovering they carried something called “white pine blister rust.” I don’t know what that is, but it sounds pretty scary and apparently threatened the logging industry. Today, some states still have a ban on growing blackcurrants but they’re making a resurgence in others.

In addition to their use in Athans gelato, blackcurrants are the primary ingredient in foreign delicacies like crème de cassis, kir, Rote Grütze, and Ribena. In my humble opinion, Ribena is incredibly disgusting and crème de cassis is quite tasty, which demonstrates the versatility of this fruit. There are also jams, jellies, and sauces to be made out of blackcurrants. Apparently, lots of foreign-made blackcurrant foods are labeled “grape” here, because we Americans just can’t be bothered with crazy berries.

Apparently the blackcurrant is a “superfood” with all sorts of health benefits. Blackcurrants contain a rare Omega-6 essential fatty acid called Gamma Linoleic Acid, which is used in treating depression, as well as packing quite the punch with four times the Vitamin C of oranges and twice the potassium of bananas. I hope that kday is feeling fully super today as a result of all this healthy goodness in her cup of gelato.

Wikipedia described the flavor of blackcurrants as “astringent.” I was under the impression that astringent was something you dabbed on your face with a cotton ball and was not aware that you were supposed to eat things that tasted like face product. Perhaps this is why kday made such a spectacular face.

In conclusion, even though blackcurrants are the primary ingredient in Ribena (gross) and have something to do with astringent (troubling), they are excellent for you and apparently saved Britain from Vitamin C deficiency during WWII. If you are in the mood for a wild cup of gelato and some nutrients to boot, head down to Athans and check it out for yourself.

** Full disclosure: Most of this information came from Wikipedia. Don’t judge.