Despite its modern demand the production of cloudberry is limited. Its botanical name is Rubus chamaemorus, also called bakeapple and chicoutée. This amber coloured berry is an Arctic edible fruit. The plant grows to 20 cm high and has small hand-like lobed leaves. After pollination the white flowers form a raspberry sized berry which encapsulate between 5 to 25 drupelets. Each fruit, initially pale red, ripens into an amber colour after continuous sunshine exposure. Cloudberry plants occur naturally in some regions of the Northern Hemisphere and can withstand cold temperatures down to -40°C. They can be found especially in Finland but also in the moorlands of Ireland, Baltic States, North Eastern Russia, Canada and Alaska.



TRADIZIONAL USES
Cloudberry high price is due to its scanty yearly harvest. The ripe fruits are golden yellow, soft, juicy and vitamin C rich. When eaten fresh, cloudberries have a pleasant distinctive taste. They contain sugar and are often made into jams, juices, pies, sherbets and liqueurs. Due to its high content of vitamin C the berry is much valued by Canadian Inuit as protection against scurvy. Tea made from cloudberry was used in ancient Scandinavian herbal medicine to cure urinary tract infections.