Dried Barberries (Zereshk)

Barberries, known as zereshk in Persian, are small ruby-red berries with a sharp, clean sourness closer to cranberry or sumac than to any sweet dried fruit. They are prized as much for their colour as their flavour, scattering a bright jewel-red finish across a dish.

They are the signature of Persian zereshk polo, the jewelled rice served with saffron chicken, where their tartness cuts through the richness of the meat and butter. Beyond that, they lift lamb and chicken stews, rice pilafs, grain salads, roasted vegetables and stuffings, and work in scones, muffins and granola anywhere you would otherwise reach for dried cranberries.

How to use them

Rinse quickly in cold water and drain, since dried barberries carry fine grit from harvesting. To finish rice, soften them in a little butter or oil over low heat for about a minute, just until they plump and turn glossy. They scorch fast, so keep the heat gentle and pull them off early.

Details

Also known as

Zereshk, zirishk, sour berries, European barberry, berberis, ambarbaris, زرشک