Is it fruit or vegetable?
For the orange balls of superfood Cape gooseberry flower (Physalis peruviana), it does not matter. They're so sweet, delicious, fragrant, healthy, and we can grow them in our garden.
Cape Gooseberry, Inca berry, Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana), Spanish Uchuva, Uvilla, Aguaymanto comes from the foothills of the Peruvian Andes at a height of about 2000 m, where Indians had already eaten it in ancient times.
The plant is sorted into groups of Solanaceae, like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant or peppers. It reaches the age over 20 years in natural habitats but hates frost. In our natural conditions (the Czech Republic), we cultivate Goldenberry as annual plant until the first frost in the autumn. It is usually grown like tomatoes, and it is better to tie it to support and to break of shoots. Cape Gooseberry likes permeable soil and full sun on the habitats protected from a strong breeze. It has a shrubby rise and reaches a height of 1.5 meters. The diameter of the flower is 3 cm with a yellowish colour and five brown-black spots.
We harvest small lanterns. Inside them occurs little orange berry that can be eaten. A few dozens of lanterns mature on one plant.
A fleshy Berry is spherical with a diameter of 1.2-2 cm. It contains yellow mass full of tiny seeds. Ripe berries are aromatic, sweet with mild acidity and citrus flavour that reminiscent pineapple and kiwi. They smell lightly fruity with a hint of caramel.
It is most delicious raw, plucked straight from the bush. In gastronomy it is used into fruit salads, cocktails, smoothies, cakes, pastries and the creation of various sweet dishes. We can from Cape Gooseberry do preserves, jams or just dry it for future purpose.
Why is Cape Gooseberry superfood?
It is delicious with lots of use in the kitchen.
Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion (According to analyses of husked fruits made in Ecuador).
Moisture 78,9 g
Protein 0,054 g
Fat 0,16 g
Fiber 4,9 g
Calcium 8,0 mg
Phosphorus 55.3 mg
Iron 1,23 mg
Carotene1.613 mg
Thiamine 0,101 mg
Riboflavin 0,032 mg
Niacin 1,73 mg
Ascorbic Acid 43,0 mg
The ripe berries are an excellent source of Vitamin P and are rich in pectin.
Health benefits of Cape Gooseberry
Physalis is a widely used for antioxidant benefits, ability to protect liver and kidney against fibrosis. This superfood delivers to the body good iron content, which is important for women during pregnancy, and also boosts immunity.
It may also help relieve arthritis pain. Physalis improves the cognitive abilities due to antioxidant properties both in children and in the elderly (slowing Alzheimer's disease). It Improves eyesight and boosts the immune, digestive and excretory systems.
In folk medicine it is used for fever reduction, prevention of cancer, treatment of skin diseases caused by bacteria, is used as anti-inflammatory, diuretic. It is also utilised for the treatment of dermatitis, malaria, rheumatism asthma, leukaemia, and hepatitis. Some tribes living in India use Cape Gooseberry against jaundice.
There are not known adverse side effects of ripe fruit.
Warning - the entire plant except the ripe fruit is for internal use slightly poisonous.