As prehistoric kitchen waste in Denmark, England and Switzerland has revealed, wild raspberries were already being eaten by our oldest ancestors in the late Neolithic. In nature they grow in temperate to cool climate zones up to an altitude of 2,000 metres in Europe, (northern) Asia and North America. Raspberries prefer semi-shady locations such as forest clearings or along the borders of forests with high humidity and cool summer temperatures.


Although the name suggests otherwise, in botanical terms raspberries are not berries, but (like blackberries, cloudberries and Japanese grapes) in fact aggregate fruits that develop from a single carpel and are a member of the rose family. The origin of the name raspberry is uncertain, but is a combination of the words “raspis” (a type of wine) and “berry”. Its botanical name Rubus idaeus goes back to the Ida mountain range in north-western Turkey where this very aromatic fruit grows along the slopes.

In light of its good taste, cultivation of the raspberry began rather late, being grown by monks in their monastery gardens at the beginning of the 17^th century. Today over 1,000 different varieties are known throughout the world. These are basically differentiated into two types: Summer raspberries bear fruit in the months of June and July, whereas autumn raspberries can be harvested from mid-August until the first frost.

Raspberries taste best when freshly picked, allowing their tartly sweet taste to come into its own. However, they can also be puréed and added – uncooked – as a refreshing sauce (to vanilla pudding or rice pudding for example) or preserved as jam, juice or jelly. In Italy they are often added to red wine and eaten along with peaches. Raspberries go wonderfully with warm goat’s cheese and walnuts, give brownies a fruity note and adorn many a strong leafy salad with vinaigrette.

An aromatic raspberry vinegar can be made from raspberries (500 grams) and white vinegar (600 millilitres). The fruit is filled into a jar, doused in vinegar and kept in a cool, dark place for six to eight weeks and finally filtered through a linen cloth. And a tasty soft drink can be made from the raspberry vinegar by adding sugar and carbonated water.

Fresh raspberries keep well when frozen if they are first put on a tray before being placed in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid they can then be transferred into sealed plastic bags or containers.

A short selection of recipes with raspberries: