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Ugni fruit are very fragrant,purplish-red fruit that looks like berries. They are very small, only growing up to about 1/2 inch (1 1/2 cm) wide. Each fruit grows on a 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) stalk.

The fruit has a very delicate flavour, somewhat like strawberries, but with a bit of tartness to it. The seeds are very small.

It grows on an evergreen shrub related to myrtle, that grows up to 15 feet (4 1/2 metres) tall. It can be grown from seed or cuttings. It has glossy, dark-green leaves, and small, white or pink, bell-shaped flowers in the spring. The fruit appears in the autumn.

There is not much fruit before the third year. By its third year, each Ugni bush will bear 2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) of fruit. After that, each year, fruit production will increase by another 2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) per year.

Australian growers have coined and trademarked the name "Tazziberries" for the fruit. They are being grown in Australia in Victoria and Tasmania.

New Zealand growers are marketing it as "NZ Cranberries."

Cooking Tips
Ugni can be eaten out of hand, or cooked into jams.

History
Ugni is native to Chile and Bolivia. It was identified in 1844.

Language Notes
Part of its scientific name is in honour of a Juan Ignacio Molina (1737-1829.)

Also called:

Other entries for:

Berries
Akala Berries, Aronia Berries, Assai Berries, Baba Berries, Barberries, Bilberries, Black Gooseberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Buffalo Currants, Bumbleberries, Cape Gooseberries, Cloudberries, Cranberries, Currants, Elderberries, Garden Huckleberries, Gooseberries, Haw Flakes, Hawthorne Berries, Huckleberry, Hudson Bay Currants, Jostaberries, Lingonberries, Mulberries, Otaheite Gooseberry, Raspberries, Red Currants, Saskatoon Berries, Sea Buckthorn, Serendipity Berries, Strawberries, Sunberries, Tayberries, Thimbleberries, Ugni, Waimate Berries, White Currants, Wineberries, Wonderberries, Worcesterberries

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Soft Fruit
Cherries, Grapes

Other entries for:

Fruit
Bananas, Bletting, Candied Fruit, Citrus Fruit, Dried Fruit, Drupes, Hard Fruit, Olives, Rhubarb