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.