Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus · Berry
Top 10 pairings
The bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a small, dark blue-black wild berry borne on a low shrub of the heath family, native to the cool woods, heaths and moors of Europe and northern Asia. Often called the European blueberry, it is darker, softer and more intensely flavoured than its cultivated American cousin, with deep purple flesh that stains the mouth — a beloved forage berry for pies, jams, liqueurs and the Nordic kitchen.
Picking a good onedrag
Just picked, dry and looseCrushed, weeping, fuzzed
Shop fresh, stainingBuy itSound, and already colouring your fingers — the state most bilberries reach a stall in. It gets no sweeter from here, only softer, so use it in a day or two.
Colour and bloomDark and glossy, the bloom rubbed thin where they touch
FeelWhole but soft, a smear of purple left on the fingers
Stem end and litterScars dry, a few short stalks and leaves through the fruit
SmellSweet and winey the moment the lid comes off