Blueberries

Cranberries/blueberries are dark blue, purple or reddish berries, which grow on dwarf bushes of the genus Vaccinium macrocarpon. They are from the same family as blackberries and raspberries. These small round fruits can be consumed fresh, in juice or in jams.

They are very popular all over the world, thanks to their slightly acidic taste and multiple beneficial properties for health, making them an excellent option to add to any balanced diet.

Numerous studies outline the multiple benefits and properties of cranberries/blueberries. This has led them to be dubbed “the fruit of the 21st century”.

We can find cranberries/blueberries in supermarkets or fruit shops, both fresh and frozen. 

Cranberries are native to North America, although today they are grown in many areas of the Northern Hemisphere.  The Native Americans used them as a key ingredient in a survival food called pemmican. They also used them for centuries as natural medicine.

• In the 17th century, the Native Americans offered cranberries to English settlers in Massachusetts, and this fruit was incorporated into the traditional celebration of Thanksgiving.
• Likewise, blueberries have been part of the Scandinavian diet since time immemorial, and they are still a very popular fruit in the Nordic countries and Russia today. 
• Although this fruit is typical in Scandinavia, it can also be found in other regions. In fact, blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) are present in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. In Galicia, they are known as ‘arandos’ or ‘Uvas do monte’. In Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla y Leon, they are called ‘arandillas’ and ‘meruendanos’. In the Basque Country, ‘abi’ or ‘azari-mats’. And in Catalonia, ‘mirtils’, ‘nabius’ or ‘raïms de pastor’. 
• The main cranberry- and blueberry-producing countries in the world are the United States, Canada, Chile and Peru.