Fruits · Dried fruit
Dried barberries
Tiny, ruby-red dried berries (zereshk) with a sharp, sour taste; essential to Persian jeweled rice and zereshk polow.
Also called: zereshk, dried barberry, zereshk berries
Around the world: zereshk, زرشک (fa)
What it is
Dried barberries are the small, oblong, bright red fruits of the barberry shrub. They are much smaller than dried cranberries, unsweetened and intensely sour. They are often sold in bags or loose and can contain stems and grit, so pick over and rinse before cooking.
Berberis vulgaris / Berberis integerrima
How it’s used
- Sautéed briefly with butter and sugar for zereshk polow
- Scattered through jeweled rice (morasa polow)
- Added to kuku sabzi and stuffings
- Used in salads and grain bowls
Characteristics
- Taste
- Very tart and lightly fruity.
- Texture
- Small, chewy and soft once soaked.
- When cooked
- Burn very quickly: sauté over low heat for a minute only.
- Sold as
- dried
- Cooking uses
- Commonly cooked, Used as a garnish
- Common in
- Iranian, Afghan, Middle Eastern
Storage
Refrigerated. Keep sealed in the fridge or freezer to keep their colour bright; they darken with age.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 3.43 g
- Carbohydrate
- 76.98 g
- Fat
- 0.22 g
- Fibre
- 4.4 g
- Sugars
- 62.28 g
USDA FoodData Central: Currants, zante, dried (a close stand-in).
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Dried cranberries — Chop and use slightly less sugar; sweeter and bigger.
Related ingredients
Recipes with dried barberries
Oshi palov
Tajik · 2 h 20 min · 697 kcal
Zereshk polo ba morgh
Iranian · 2 h 35 min · 764 kcal
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