13 Types Of Berries, Explained

If you are a fan of fresh fruit, the chances are that berries often make their way onto your plate. Lower in sugar than many other fruits and packed with beneficial compounds, berries are a delicious and easy way to get some added nutrition into your meals. From smoothies to crumbles and even salads, there are countless ways to reap the benefits of berries in your culinary endeavors.

While strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries often hog the spotlight, there are many other berries that are overlooked. And, prepare to be shocked: Some of your favorite "berries" are not technically berries at all, though other fruits such as bananas, oranges, and grapes are. All this confusion makes it difficult to navigate the wonderful world of berries, which is a shame, as there are some fantastic fruits out there just waiting to be sampled. From açai berries to chokeberries, let's dive into the wide variety of berries available and make sure that you are not missing out on a delicious addition to your repertoire.

Let's begin with one of the most famous berries, which, ironically, is not technically a berry. The clue to the strawberry's deception is the abundance of seeds that we can all see from the outside. If it were truly a berry in the botanical sense, its seeds would be tucked up safe inside. However, there is no denying the popularity of this delicious fruit, and since it is a berry by name, that is good enough for us.

One of the great things about strawberries is how easy they are to grow, even in cooler climates. If you want to enjoy freshly picked strawberries throughout the summer, they can be grown in pots or even hanging baskets on a balcony, allowing you to indulge in their sweet flavor whenever you wish.

In the kitchen, the strawberry is incredibly versatile, lending itself to a variety of sweet dishes and even a few savory ones. Ripe strawberries are incredibly sweet and juicy and are the ideal addition to cheesecakes, puff pastry tarts, and fruit salads. Cutting through the sweetness, though, is a subtle tang that means they can bring an interesting note to salads. They pair especially well with balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper, as in this strawberry, chicken, and spinach recipe. No matter how you choose to enjoy your strawberries, their vibrant red color, distinctive heart shape, and fantastic flavor make them a superb addition to your cooking repertoire.

The boysenberry may not be as well-known as some of the others on this list, but it should look familiar enough to pique your interest. If they look like a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry, there is good reason — they are essentially a hybrid of the two other fruits, with loganberries also featuring in the mix. Visually, they most resemble a blackberry, but are larger and with a tinge of pink hue. They got their name from Rudolph Boysen, who was experimenting with cross-breeding berries in the 1930s.

As a hybrid of three different berries, boysenberries share qualities with them all, particularly the tartness of the blackberry and the sweetness of the raspberry. If you are a fan of either of these original berries, you should definitely seek out some boysenberries to try. They are not as widely available as some other berries, but you should be able to source some at your local farmers' market.

Baking with boysenberries is a joy — as long as you can resist eating them straight from the fridge. They work brilliantly anywhere that blackberries would — think crumbles, pies, and jams. And next time you serve a fruit salad, be sure to throw a few in. Your guests will be delighted when they bite into it, assuming it to be a blackberry, and are greeted with its surprising flavor.

Is there anything better in the fruit world than ordering a fruit salad and discovering it contains raspberries? These decadent berries are known for their exquisite flavor and delicate texture, and they can make any dessert look elegant. Technically, though, they are another example of berry deception — they come from multiple ovaries, and each raspberry is actually a collection of several tiny fruits. But that triviality is not going to stop us from enjoying them at every opportunity.

Raspberries are a sensory delight, with their burst of sweetness, balanced by just a hint of sharpness, and their wonderfully fuzzy texture. They make a fabulous jam, which features in Victoria sponge, and take pride of place atop a French martini. When it comes to desserts, they are best saved for elegant dishes, such as raspberry cheesecake or mille-feuille, where their wonderful flavor can be center stage.

The main issue to watch out for with raspberries is their lack of resilience. Try storing them in the fridge for more than a day, and they will give up, turning to mush in protest at being abandoned so heartlessly. Fortunately, in most households, including mine, they are always devoured long before this can happen.

For many of us, elderberries likely fall into the category of "have heard of them but never bought them." Elderberry flavoring is found in many drinks, including soft drinks and wine, and they are also used in traditional medicine. They are another of the berries that don't qualify botanically as true berries and are actually drupes.

If you are planning to source some elderberries and have them straight from the fridge as a healthy snack, you'll need to change your plans. Raw elderberries are toxic, containing compounds that can produce cyanide — apricots contain the same substance, but it is limited to the stone. For this reason, you should always cook elderberries before you consume them. Boiling or baking for 30 minutes will be enough to make them perfectly safe.

If you are put off trying elderberries because they need more preparation than most fruits, their nutritional profile may be enough to convince you. They are high in vitamin C, contain plenty of antioxidants, and are a great source of fiber, too. They are known for treating colds and flu, so it may be worth adding this tasty berry to your diet during the winter season.

With their glossy black sheen and plump shape, blackberries are a fruit that looks just as fantastic as they taste. There aren't many dessert dishes that wouldn't benefit from the sweet-sharp blackberry flavor, and they can be put to great use in savory dishes, too.

As their cluster shape suggests, blackberries are the same type of fruit as raspberries — aggregate fruits — meaning they are not a true berry. Also known as brambles, particularly in the U.K., they are resilient plants that can grow in just about any environment. They are widely available on supermarket shelves and should definitely be a regular feature on your shopping list.

The most famous uses for blackberries are in pies and crumbles, especially alongside sweeter fruits such as apples or stone fruits, to balance their tangy punch. Don't assume, however, that a sweet treat is the only use for these black beauties — if you are a fan of chutney with your cheese, try blackberries instead. The tartness of the berries beautifully balances the creaminess of the cheese, as in this blackberry grilled cheese with prosciutto. They can also make a tasty companion to game, such as duck or venison, cutting through the rich meat and creating a dark, fruity sauce.

If you've never heard of goji berries, it's time to add them to your must-try list. This superfood has been used in Chinese medicine for many centuries, but has only hit the headlines here fairly recently. It is becoming increasingly popular in health circles thanks to its dense nutrient profile, and its wide availability makes it easy to add this healthy snack to your daily routine.

Goji berries are packed with antioxidants, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. The health advantages of these compounds are significant, and can benefit the eyes, skin, and immune system. Anecdotally, goji berries are associated with anti-aging and longevity.

It's likely you will eat goji berries differently from most of the other berries in your fridge. They are most commonly sold dried in the U.S. and can be eaten in a similar way to raisins. Add them to granola or smoothie bowls, or eat them straight from the pack. They have a tart but sweet flavor and a soft, chewy texture, and their bright orange color makes them an attractive addition to any dish. You can add them to your usual muffin mix to give your baked goods a nutritional boost, or even add to a salad. No matter how you fancy using them, goji berries may just be the healthy snack you never knew you needed in your life.

If you hear the word cranberry and think of the sweetened jelly you had with turkey during the holiday season, you may be on the wrong track. Fresh cranberries are juicy and tart, and would give your palate a shock compared to the canned version. The presence of cranberries at the first-ever Thanksgiving dinner is likely due to the harvest being late in the fall, and cranberries being one of the few berries native to the U.S. In the last 100 years, canned, sweet cranberry sauce has become increasingly popular, but homemade cranberry sauce will provide the best tangy balance for the mellow flavor of turkey and roasters.

Nutritionally, cranberries pack a punch, filled with antioxidants including proanthocyanidins, known for promoting bladder health. This is why cranberry juice is famously recommended for preventing urinary tract infections. With their high vitamin C content, adding cranberries in any form to your diet will see you reap the health benefits.

As berries go, blueberries pretty much have it all. First of all, they are botanically true berries, which is a good start; they have a deliciously sweet flavor with just a hint of tang and are packed with plant compounds that will boost your health. Add in their incredible versatility, and you have a berry that simply cannot be ignored.

The deep blue color of blueberries is a clue to their impressive nutrient profile. Dark-colored fruits and veg — particularly red, purple, and blue — have anthocyanins in them, which give them their deep hue. These have particularly potent antioxidant effects, making blueberries one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. Said to help protect against heart disease, cancer, and neurological decline, adding these petite berries to your desserts can have a big impact on your health.

Speaking of desserts, blueberries are wonderful in so many dishes, from pies to muffins and pancakes. When lightly cooked, they retain some of their texture, and they burst in your mouth as you eat them, flooding your palate with sweet and fruity juice. They also make a dramatic addition to smoothies, changing the color to dark blue as they give it a boost of flavor and vitamins. With these tasty berries so widely available, you should add them to your shopping list and make the most of their unique combination of flavor, texture, and nutrition.

Other than the reference to them in a children's nursery rhyme, it's possible that you may not be as familiar with mulberries as some other berries. They look a little like blackberries — though they are longer and thinner — and come in various colors, including red, white, and black. The only variety that is native to the U.S. is the red mulberry, and it is found mainly in the eastern half of the country. If you are fortunate enough to have access to fresh mulberries, the good news is they can happily replace blackberries in your baking due to their similar sweet but sharp flavor. 

Fresh mulberries are juicy and satisfying and can be turned into jams or enjoyed in a salad to give a burst of fruity tanginess. Dried mulberries are becoming increasingly popular in health circles thanks to their high levels of vitamin C and iron. They work well in smoothie bowls or with granola, providing a nutritional boost and a sweet, chewy element. Whether you're snacking on the fresh version or adding the dried fruit to your breakfast, mulberries offer a fun alternative to blackberries or raspberries and will help you up your berry game!

The chokeberry is an unusual-sounding fruit, and it has intriguing properties to match. Its proper name is the aronia berry, but it is commonly referred to as a chokeberry thanks to its ability to dry out the mouth with its sharp, astringent taste. While this description may not inspire you to rush out and grab a punnet for your next fruit salad, when paired with other foods, they can make an interesting addition to your kitchen.

While many people are put off by the incredibly acidic flavor of chokeberries, sweetening them by making jam or adding them to pies with other fruits means you can enjoy the many nutrients they possess. From anthocyanins to flavonoids, they contain the same disease-fighting compounds as other dark berries, but in much higher concentrations. So, if you come across these tiny berries in your local health food store, why not give them a try? Just be prepared for your taste buds to be a little shocked if you eat them raw.

Alongside goji berries, açai berries are a fruit you may have noticed in various health foods. Hailing from the Amazon, they have become the celebrity of the berry world in recent years, as people clamor to add them to their smoothie bowl selfies and struggle to pronounce them correctly (it's ah-sah-EE, in case you were wondering).

If you frequent the Amazon jungle, you may have the opportunity to come across fresh açai berries, which look like small purple grapes. Since they are incredibly perishable, there is little chance of you finding them anywhere else, so dried or frozen fruits are the practical option for the rest of us. Açai berries are considered by many to be one of the healthiest foods available, thanks to the dark color they share with others on this list.

Açai bowls have become a trendy, Insta-worthy way to incorporate this super berry into your diet by combining açai puree with a variety of other fruits, nuts, and seeds. The rich color of the açai puree contrasts beautifully with brighter fruits such as mango and strawberry to create visually stunning bowls that will impress your eyes and your taste buds. So the next time you walk past freeze-dried açai on the supermarket shelf, why not chuck it in your trolley and enjoy the benefits of this Brazilian superstar?

At first glance, you may mistake a gooseberry for a see-through grape, but they are actually a fascinating berry that was at one point banned in the U.S. At the start of the 20th century, they were blamed for killing pine trees by passing on a fungus, and a ban was introduced that still applies in certain parts of the country today. 

In spite of the legal setbacks, gooseberries are now available to buy across the country and can make an interesting addition to your baking efforts. They come in various colors — green, purple, and yellow included — and have a flavor that is well-balanced between sweet and tart. They are a delicious option for jams and pies, where they are allowed to stew slowly, allowing the natural sugars to be released. High in vitamin C, like most berries, they deserve to have a resurgence alongside their more famous cousins and can provide a unique and tasty alternative to them.

The final berry on our list may not be a common addition to a fruit salad, but it is a berry in both name and botanical status, so it deserves our attention nonetheless. Caperberries are most often seen in salads or alongside fish and look like a cross between an olive and a caper. Caperberries are actually the fruits that eventually blossom from the caper, and they have a similar, tangy flavor. The texture is the main element that differentiates them, as the caperberry has more of a crunch than its diminutive counterpart.

The usual packing in brine means that caperberries have a salty flavor and can be used in the same way as pickles or added to sauces to give them a delightful piquance. While not as nutrition-packed as many other berries, they still contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, which, along with their low calorie content, makes them a healthy addition to your salads. They add a delicious pop of flavor to Mediterranean dishes and will look great on your next charcuterie board.