Overview

Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) is a low-growing, rhizomatous perennial herb native to alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest across the Northern Hemisphere. It produces an amber to golden-orange aggregate fruit that resembles a raspberry or blackberry in structure but has a distinct tart-sweet flavor with floral and slightly resinous notes. The fruit is soft, juicy, and contains large seeds.

Origin and history

Cloudberry has been harvested for centuries by Indigenous peoples across Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, and Alaska. In Nordic countries, it has long been foraged from wild stands and is considered a delicacy, particularly in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The plant is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female, and only female plants produce fruit. Commercial cultivation has proven difficult due to the plant’s specific habitat requirements and slow growth, so nearly all cloudberries sold are wild-harvested. The English name “cloudberry” is used for the plant, while “bakeapple” (used in Atlantic Canada) is of uncertain origin.

Varieties and aliases

  • Bakeapple (Atlantic Canada)
  • Knotberry, knoutberry (England)
  • Aqpik (Inuit, Alaska)
  • Low-bush salmonberry (Alaska; not to be confused with true salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis)
  • Multebær (Norwegian)
  • Hjortron (Swedish)
  • Lakka, suomuurain (Finnish)
  • Moroshka (Russian)

Culinary uses

Cloudberries are most commonly eaten fresh, often with sugar or cream to balance their tartness. In Nordic cuisine, they are used to make jams, preserves, liqueurs, and desserts such as cloudberry parfaits, puddings, and sauces served with game meats or pancakes. In Finland, cloudberry jam is a traditional accompaniment to leipäjuusto (a squeaky cheese). In Alaska and Canada, the berries are mixed with seal oil or sugar and stored for winter use. The fruit is high in vitamin C.

Cross-cuisine context

Cloudberry has no direct analogue in Mexican cuisine or in the other LA-relevant cuisines listed on the platform. Its closest functional parallel is the zarzamora (wild blackberry, Rubus ulmifolius or Rubus fruticosus), which is foraged in the highlands of Mexico and used in aguas frescas, jams, and desserts. However, cloudberry’s amber color, tart-floral flavor, and arctic habitat make it distinct. In Korean cuisine, bokbunja (Korean black raspberry, Rubus coreanus) is used in wine and desserts, but it is a different species with a darker, sweeter profile. No direct analogue exists in Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Cambodian, Armenian, Persian, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, or Arabic cuisines.

Notes for cooks

  • Cloudberries are highly perishable and should be eaten or processed within a few days of harvest. They freeze well and are often sold frozen outside of their growing regions.
  • The berries are very tart when underripe and become sweeter as they soften to a deep golden-orange. Avoid berries that are pale or hard.
  • Substitutions are difficult due to the unique flavor, but a mix of raspberries and apricots or golden raspberries can approximate the color and tart-sweet balance in cooked preparations.