Barberry is one of the most delicious edible seeds in the world. This plant grows in temperate and subtropical regions. The fruit of this plant is consumed fresh and dry. Dried barberry is one of the most widely consumed food ingredients in Iranian food culture and gives a unique taste to food.
Introduction of barberry
Barberry is a plant of the Berberidaceae family. The leaves of plants belonging to this family are usually small in size and are green in all seasons of the year. The barberry tree contains many Thorns that are between 1 and 5 meters long. This plant grows naturally and the most suitable areas in the world for its growth are the temperate and tropical parts of Asia, Europe, Africa and North and South America.
There are several different varieties of this plant, among which Berberis vulgaris is more known than the others. This plant is used both fresh and dried in various foods, desserts and drinks. Dried barberry is widely used in European and Iranian food, and fresh barberry is also used to produce jam, candies and sweets.
Fresh and dried barberry contains berberine (a type of antioxidant). This substance increases the ability to learn by affecting the hippocampus in the brain. Also, berberine has anti-inflammatory properties.
Darwin’s barberry, Berberis microphylla, Japanese barberry and Berberis thunbergii are 4 examples of the most famous types of edible barberry in the world, which are used in the production of food, drinks, sweets and jams.
Dried barberry in Iranian food culture
Iran is the largest producer of barberry in the world and 95% of the world’s barberry is produced in Iran and in the cities of Qaen and Zirkuh in North Khorasan province. The production of this plant in Iran has increased the use of barberry in Iranian foods, drinks, desserts, sweets and jams. Dried barberry in Iran is classified as dried fruit and is one of the most delicious and popular fruits in Iranian food culture.
Zereshk polo ba morgh
This food is one of the most famous Iranian foods prepared with dried barberry. This food includes fried chicken thighs with a sauce (this sauce is prepared from paste, various spices, ground saffron and grated tomato) and Iranian rice. Dried barberry, pistachio slices, almonds and saffron are used as a delicious flavoring along with Iranian rice in this food.
Tahchin
This food is also a combination of Iranian rice, saffron, various spices, sliced almonds and pistachios, yogurt and dried barberry. To prepare this food, a part of the chicken thigh or breast is cooked and then the bones are removed and the chicken pieces are fried in oil along with various spices and chopped onions. Cooked Iranian rice is also mixed with yogurt and saffron, and chicken pieces are placed in between and this mixture is poured into the pot. It takes about 1 hour to cook. After cooking this food, dried barberry is used to decorate it and make this food more delicious.
Barberry juice
This is a sour and healthy drink that has been very popular among Iranians since ancient times. To prepare barberry juice, fresh or dried barberry must be boiled with water until the barberry extract is completely removed and the color of the water turns bright red or dark red. This drink is very useful for people who suffer from diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Varieties of barberry
In Iran, there are 2 different types of barberry including red barberry and black barberry. These two types are not much different in terms of benefits and taste, and only the area of their growth and also the color of these two barberries are different.
black barberry
This barberry grows in mountainous areas without human intervention. The color of this barberry after drying is very dark red and almost black and has a milder taste. The price of dried black barberry is higher than that of red barberry.
Red barberry
This type is the most common type of barberry that you can find in the Iranian market. This barberry is divided according to the place of cultivation and harvesting season, including three different types of puffy or light red barberry, pomegranate seed barberry or dark red barberry, and mountain barberry. Among these three types, the time required to dry the bright red barberry is more and it takes several months.
Benefits of barberry for health
Barberry is one of the useful fruits in herbal medicine. This fruit has many health benefits, some of which include the following:
Contains high amounts of Berberine
Berberine is one of the most effective antioxidants in reducing blood fat, increasing concentration and learning power of the brain, reducing the harmful effects of stress on the body, and preventing inflammation in different parts of the body. Berberis aquifolium, Berberis vulgaris and Berberis aristata are three types of barberry that contain high amounts of berberine.
Reducing blood pressure
Consuming dried barberry in food or drinking barberry juice has a great effect on lowering blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure. Barberry contains very strong antioxidants and helps maintain the health of blood vessel walls.
Increase metabolism and help lose weight
The ingredients in barberry increase the metabolism of cells and reduce the amount of fat in the body and help to lose weight and lose weight. Medical studies have shown that consuming fresh or dried barberry or barberry juice on a daily basis significantly reduces blood sugar in patients with diabetes and has the same effect as metformin.
Barberry is rich in nutrients
Carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, calories, various antioxidants and minerals useful for the body are among the substances found in barberry. These substances prevent heart diseases, cancer, high blood pressure and vascular problems.
Eliminate diarrhea and intestinal infections
There are large amounts of the antioxidant berberine in barberry. One of the advantages of this substance is to slow down the movement of feces in the intestine and treat diarrhea. In addition to this substance, there are other useful compounds in barberry that destroy bacterial infections in the intestine and prevent diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Acne treatment
The ingredients in fresh and dried barberry have a significant effect on eliminating acne and skin pimples. Acne is one of the problems that occurs in teenagers and during puberty. Consuming barberry can control this problem to a great extent.
Helping to make white blood cells and better absorption of iron in the body
Barberry contains significant amounts of vitamin C. This vitamin plays an important role in iron absorption. Consumption of barberry can prevent diseases such as anemia by improving iron absorption. In addition, the substances in barberry help the body to make white blood cells and strengthen the immune system.
Treatment of sore throat and inflammatory problems
Barberry contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. These substances can have a very positive effect in the treatment of problems such as sore throat, cold, bronchitis, sinusitis and other common problems of the respiratory system.
Maintaining healthy skin and hair
Vitamin C and berberine are two very useful substances that are present in large amounts in barberry. Vitamin C and berberine have a great effect on making the skin clear and maintaining the health of the scalp and preventing hair loss. In addition to these two substances, there are many minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and manganese in barberry, which promote hair growth and maintain their health.
Fight against fungal infections
Candida albicans is one of the pathogenic yeasts that cause vaginal infection in women and oral thrush infection. The compounds in fresh and dried barberry destroy this yeast and treat fungal infections and prevent them from occurring.
Diabetes control
The antioxidant berberine plays an important role in reducing blood sugar. According to studies, consuming 2 to 3 times of this antioxidant on a daily basis will significantly reduce blood sugar and control diabetes.
In addition to the above, improving vision and eye health, preventing cancer, maintaining healthy teeth, cleaning the liver from harmful substances, and improving indigestion are other benefits of consuming dry barberry, fresh barberry and barberry juice.
Note: Dried barberry, fresh barberry and barberry juice have many health benefits, but this fruit is not suitable for some people. You should not use barberry if you have special medical conditions such as pregnancy, low blood pressure, continuous drug use, bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, kidney and liver failure. Also, excessive consumption of barberry may poison you and cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, severe drop in blood pressure, decrease in heart rate, and damage to the kidneys.
