Overview

Oval-leaf huckleberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium) is a shrub in the heath family (Ericaceae) native to northern North America and parts of northeastern Asia. The berries are dark blue to black, with a sweet-tart flavor similar to other wild blueberries. The plant is also known as Alaska blueberry, early blueberry, oval-leaf bilberry, and oval-leaf blueberry.

Origin and history

Vaccinium ovalifolium grows across a broad northern range including Alaska, western Canada, the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and across the Bering Strait into Siberia and the Russian Far East [1]. It is one of several Vaccinium species harvested by Indigenous peoples throughout its range for food and medicine. The plant flowers early in spring, which gives it the common name “early blueberry” in some regions [2]. Commercial cultivation is minimal; most harvest remains wild-picked.

Varieties and aliases

  • Alaska blueberry
  • Early blueberry
  • Oval-leaf bilberry
  • Oval-leaf blueberry
  • Oval-leaf huckleberry
  • Vaccinium ovalifolium var. ovalifolium
  • Vaccinium ovalifolium var. saporosum
  • Vaccinium ovalifolium var. alpinum

Culinary uses

The berries are eaten fresh or used in jams, jellies, syrups, and baked goods. They can be dried for winter use. A liqueur is sometimes made from the fruit. The leaves can be steeped to make a blueberry-leaf herbal tea. The berries pair well with other wild berries and are commonly used in preserves where they are abundant.

Cross-cuisine context

Oval-leaf huckleberry has no widely recognized analogue in Mexican cuisine. It is functionally closest to arándano azul (wild blueberry) in Spanish-language contexts, though the species is distinct from the highbush and lowbush blueberries common in commercial Mexican markets. In Korean cuisine, there is no direct analogue; the closest functional comparison is to wild bilberries or bogil (복분자, Rubus coreanus) in terms of foraged berry use, though the species are unrelated.

Notes for cooks

  • Oval-leaf huckleberries are more tart than commercial blueberries. Adjust sugar upward when substituting in recipes written for cultivated blueberries.
  • The berries freeze well. Spread in a single layer on a tray, freeze, then transfer to bags to prevent clumping.
  • Leaves for tea should be harvested before the plant flowers for the mildest flavor.