![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rk_vydfeg2t4YzuZFFbrMlIpx1WmBu1oUO6cuYHZkCYlpkLh3nNo5-RZ3SrTVKRPayeCgsFksHWWAAO9izviu0FbLVDZ3-2LWzf6EHTRDjJWqrwRCWY6uwTJ7xtuuBpz2kYP7m5GsLM/s200/berries.jpg)
In
the United States, purple Skittles taste like grapes, or more
accurately, artificial grape flavoring. But in Britain, Australia, and
other nations, those Skittles are flavored with blackcurrant. In fact,
the rest of the world is quite familiar with the berry, which is used
for juice, jam, and other products.
Most American
mouths have never tasted the sweet yet tart tang of the blackcurrant
berry. There’s a big reason for that: in the early 20th century, the
growing of blackcurrants was banned on a federal level in the U.S. after
legislators discovered that the plants, brought over from Europe, had
become vectors for a wood-destroying disease known as white pine blister
rust.
During the 1960s, the federal ban on the berry was relaxed
in favor of state-by-state jurisdiction, and most states now allow it
to be grown. But the damage had already been done—the blackcurrant jams,
juices, pastries and cakes that are standard throughout Europe are
nowhere to be found stateside.
A few food producers
are trying to change that. While American Skittles may stay grape
forever, there may be other blackcurrant foods coming to a store near
you.
Read about them at Atlas Obscura.
No comments:
Post a Comment