Cape Gooseberries

Seasons/Availability

Cape gooseberries are available year round.

Current Facts

The Cape gooseberry, botanical name, Physalis peruviana, is a member of the Solanaceae family. Other names include Chinese lantern, golden berry, husk cherry, Peruvian ground cherry, poha and poha berry.

Description/Taste

The Cape gooseberry is wrapped in a thin, parchment-like husk. The fruits turn from a pale green to an amber or golden orange color as they ripen. The flavor of the Cape gooseberries is very tart, piquant and reminiscent of citrus on the finish.

Applications

Fresh Cape gooseberrie's sweet-tart flavor and earthiness can lend itself to several applications: sweet, savory, cooked, raw, whole, mashed, pureed, preserved, even pickled. Gooseberries can be utilized in savory applications alongside fresh, creamy and aged cheeses, sausages, pork, lamb and within fresh salads. Complimentary ingredients include pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, bramble berries, stone fruit, aged balsamic vinegar, salad greens such as butter lettuce and arugula, apples, fresh and dried figs, fennel, bacon and basil.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

The cultivation of Cape gooseberries at the Cape of Good Hope in the early nineteenth century influenced the derivation of its name.

Geography/History

The Cape gooseberry is native to Brazil and through trade was naturalized in the highlands of Peru and Chile. It is cultivated largely in South America and throughout the Southern Hemisphere, including New Zealand.

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