Riberry

Syzygium luehmannii · Berry

40 pairings

The riberry is the small, pear-shaped scarlet fruit of Syzygium luehmannii, an Australian rainforest tree of the myrtle family also known as the small-leaved lilly pilly or cherry satinash. Tart and crisp like a cranberry but carrying a distinctive warm spice — clove, cinnamon and a faint rose note — it is one of the most prized native bushfoods in Australia.

Picking a good onedrag

Crisp, glossy, sharply spicedSlack, weeping, winey

Firm, shine goingRipe riberries run from pink and pale right through to deep crimson, so a lighter berry is no fault to sort out. Judge firm flesh and unbroken skin instead.Still good

Colour and skinStill fully coloured, the shine flattening, skin smooth and unbroken

The squeezeFirm, gives a fraction and comes straight back

SmellTart and clean, the spice thread still there close up

What to look for, from crisp, glossy, sharply spiced to slack, weeping, winey.

Preparing