Barberry
Berberis vulgaris · Berry
Top 10 pairings
The barberry is the small, oval, intensely sour red berry of shrubs in the genus Berberis, the common European species being Berberis vulgaris. Known in Persian as zereshk, the tiny tart berries are dried to a glossy jewel-red and are a defining ingredient of Iranian cuisine, above all in zereshk polo — barberry rice.
Picking a good onedrag
Bright, plump, sharpBrown, hard, stale
Deep even redBuy itDarker but even, and still the good stuff. Cooks beautifully into rice, stuffings, stews and jam, where the tartness carries the dish.
ColourDeep even red, still bright right through the bag
Between finger and thumbDrier and a little wrinkled, still yields to the thumb
Smell as the bag opensQuieter but still tart, with a faint winey note