Wildflowers of Europe
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
| Family : | ERICACEAE (Heath Family) |
| Common Name (UK) : | Cowberry |
| Common Name (DE) : | Preiselbeere |
| Common Name (FR) : | Airelle rouge |
| Habitat : | Pine and beach forests, subalpine heathers; in silicious soil. |
| Remarks : | Circumboreal. Wild-collected cowberries are a popular fruit in northern Europe, notably in Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Karelia region of Russia, where they are available for gathering on public lands. Because the berries are quite tart, they are almost always cooked and sweetened before eating in the form of lingonberry jam, compote, juice, or syrup. Cowberry compote sometimes accompanies game meats. In Sweden and Norway, reindeer steak is traditionally served with gravy and cowberry sauce. Cowberry preserve is commonly eaten with meatballs and potatoes in Sweden. Cowberries are a staple item at Swedish retailer IKEA. It is often sold as jam and juice in the marketplace and as a key ingredient in many of the dishes sold in the cafe. Cowberries contain organic acids, vitamin C, provitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. In addition to these healthful nutrients, cowberries also contain phytochemicals that are thought to counteract urinary-tract infections. Cowberries are used in herbal medicine. |
| First appearing : | June |
| Abundance : |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |