Bearberry (Kinnikinnick)

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · Berry

40 pairings

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), also called kinnikinnick, is a small, glossy red berry borne on a low, trailing evergreen shrub of the heath family that carpets boreal, Arctic and alpine ground across the far north. Dry, mealy and nearly tasteless raw, it is a durable survival and foraging food long used by Indigenous and Nordic peoples and cooked into pemmican, sauces and preserves.

Picking a good onedrag

Just gathered, glossy and firmDull, weeping, musty

Firm, shine goingNothing lost that a pan will not cover: fry it in fat, stew it with a tarter berry, or dry and pound it for pemmican. Flick out stray leaves — leaf is tea, not fruit.Cook it

ColourStill red, the shine starting to flatten

FeelFirm and dry, skin still tight

StemStems drying pale, fruit still holding on

SmellFaint dry berry, still clean

What to look for, from just gathered, glossy and firm to dull, weeping, musty.

Preparing