Cape
Gooseberries
Physalis peruviana
Cape
Gooseberries, also known as Physalis are a favourite exotic fruit
in Europe.
Indigenous
to Colombia and Peru , the early settlers at the Cape of Good
Hope grew Cape Gooseberries before 1807.
Colombia
specializes in the production of this unique fruit making it available
year-round. It's grown in cold, subtropical regions throughout
the country.
The
fruit is ripe when the cape has a golden color and the berry is
yellow-orange in appearance. It possesses a very
sweet but tart flavor making them very appealing for many different
dishes.
Often
canned whole and preserved as jam, Cape Gooseberries are also
sold fresh and used for sauces, pies, puddings, chutneys or eaten
fresh in fruit salads.
Due
to their high content of Vitamin A, Calcium and Phosphorus they
are reported to help control diabetes, clean the blood and aid
in the treatment of the prostate gland. They also aid in digestion.
