INCABERRIES

 

Yesterday, as we were going about our daily business, I purchased a packet of " healthy snack mix "

 

You know the type - almonds, pistachios, dried paw paw, hazelnuts, cranberries and what I took at first glance ( without my glasses !! ) as sultanas.

 

 

But when I tasted the "sultanas" I knew I had made a mistake so I put on my glasses and had a good look at them.

 

Here's a close up of one.

See, it has lots of little seeds inside it and the taste starts off sweet and ends on a tart taste.

 

 

I looked on the contents of the packet ( with my glasses on !!) and saw that the mystery ingredient was an Incaberry.

 

Never heard of them !

 

 

 

I took this photo so you can see the size of them.

 

I wondered if they might have been some type of gooseberry because of all the seeds and the tart taste so I looked them up.

 

This is what I found:

 

 

"Similar to a Cape Gooseberry, the Incaberry is a small fruit with a glossy orange-yellow skin that is surrounded by papery leaves. Once the fruit is dried it has a distinctive bronze orange colour. Organic Incaberries are an amazing taste sensation - sweet with a fine and delicate sour finish. The taste is so unique, you just have to try them.

 

 

"Organic Incaberries are more commonly consumed as a dried fruit. Incaberries can be enjoyed alone or mixed with other fruits in salads. Try them in muesli and cereals for an antioxidant boost.

Or simply add this South American twist to the classic cheese platter.

 

 

 ( hey , that looks good! )

"Incaberries to have an antioxidant capacity higher than Gojiberries and other major dried fruits.
Dried Incaberries are very high in fibre with 19g fibre per 100g or 8g in a ¼ cup (45g). This is more fibre than 1 cup of a high fibre breakfast cereal or a salad sandwich on wholegrain bread.

But more importantly Incaberries contain soluble fibre necessary for controlling appetite and reducing cholesterol re-absorption in the intestine....."

 

So it seems I have stumbled onto a new wonder food that has not had much publicity here.... or at least not in the circles I move around in.

.

Heck, I've only just heard of goji berries !

 

I have to say I liked them and can see that I could find ways to include them in our diet.

 I especially like the look  ( and taste ) of them in a cheese platter.

 

Now I'll keep a look out for them. Perhaps a Health Food store.

 

Have you heard of them?

 

Cheers.