The blueberry and the blue berry are not the same
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: the difference between blueberries and bilberries.
Blueberries or bilberries give muffins, scones, boozy French toast or American pancakes just that fresh touch that these sweet baked goods need. But what is actually the difference between blueberries and bilberries?
Although the two berries look almost identical (blue, round) and both blueberry and bilberry have only one word in English (blueberry’s) they are different on the inside and one berry grows wild while the other does not. We will explain the differences and immediately give you the golden tip for recognizing fresh berries.
Cultivated versus wild
Blueberries and bilberries grow differently. Blueberries can be found in clusters on tall bushes. These bushes do not grow wild in nature but are mainly cultivated – and are therefore available all year round. Because the blueberry grows in groups, this type is also called the cluster bog berry. Bilberries, on the other hand, grow alone on a low bush in the forest, between April and June. Picking bilberries in the wild is possible, but you need to know how to recognize them.
Big versus small
And you do this first by the shape of the berry. Bilberries are usually smaller than blueberries and grow to a maximum of one centimeter. The most noticeable difference: bilberries are blue on the outside and inside, while the flesh of a blueberry is white.
How to recognize a fresh berry
Whether they are blueberries or bilberries, we prefer to eat them when they are fresh and fruity. You can recognize fresh berries by the white bloom on the berry. This is a natural layer that keeps the berry juicy and fresh. If you gently rub the berry with your finger and it remains dark blue in color, this protective layer is missing, and the berries are probably a bit older, softer, and milkier in taste.
Anti-aging
And of course, both the blueberry and the bilberry are healthy. The vitamin C content in the bilberry is indeed higher than in the blueberry, but the blueberry also belongs in the list of superfoods. This is partly due to the high number of ‘anthocyanins’ or plant pigments, which are known as natural anti-aging substances. These substances are still being extensively researched, but it is now believed that the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins are fifty times higher than vitamin E and twice as high as vitamin C. In terms of anti-aging effects, bilberries are the absolute champion. They are packed with anthocyanins and flavonoids. The darker the color of the bilberries, the more antioxidants they contain.
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