The golden berry is a fruit of the tropical regions, known by many different names around the world. It is an herbaceous plant cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas, grown successfully today in many parts of southern France and Turkey.
As noted by agronomist Cassander Gatsios, this exotic fruit is a similar plant to many other well-known edible species, such as tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, etc. It is harvested when the fruit acquires an orange-yellow colour, after which they are placed in refrigerated chambers for 3 days. If the fruit is left unharvested, it can be preserved for up to 5 months, providing the humidity is very low.
Major producing countries include Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. In Europe, more than 2,500 tonnes of Colombian golden berries are imported annually, mostly by the Netherlands and Germany, which account for 70% of all shipments, followed by the UK with 25%.
Greece has made some isolated attempts at its cultivation in the past, particularly in Crete, but due to poor marketing organisation, the fruit has not had much success. However, in recent years there have been successful efforts in neighbouring Turkey and the product already registers good sales at quite good prices per kilo.
In Greece, golden berries are imported from the Netherlands (of Colombian origin), sold in packs of 1.2 kg; the average sale price in wholesale ranges from 7.5 to 8.5 Euro per kilo.
The fruits contain large amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin C. They are consumed as fresh fruit, fruit mixtures and in many pastry products, as well as part of gourmet dishes.
It is small in size, reaching about 1.5 to 2 cm, and is usually smooth, bright yellow to orange and quite juicy, with a characteristic sour taste. Inside has numerous small yellow seeds and when ripe it is quite sweet.
This plant should be grown in places with good exposure to the sun or in semi-shade. It prefers soils with a pH around 7, which are well drained and rich in organic matter.
Source: ethnos.gr
