Origin / Cultivation
Sea buckthorn (also known as sandthorn) originally came from Tibet,
and migrated to Central Europe near the end of the Ice Age.
It was one of the first shrubs to grow on the expansive, barren
fields of gravel and grit left behind by receding glaciers.
Sea buckthorn is a very robust plant. It is capable of withstanding
extreme cold, heat and drought conditions and thrives in windy
climates and on salty soil. That explains why sea buckthorn is
found primarily in coastal areas in Germany today.
Sea buckthorn began its career as a source of vitamins in the
former GDR, where citrus fruit was rarely available. That’s where
it earned the name “lemon of the north”.
Description
Sea buckthorn is a wild fruit-bearing shrub that reaches heights
– and diameters – of up to five metres. With its extended lateral
branches and irregular crown, the thorny bush usually presents a
rather unruly appearance. Yet the relatively undemanding sea
buckthorn, to which numerous healthy effects are attributed, is a
popular plant among hobby gardeners, thanks not least of all to
its bright reddish-yellow berries.
The fruit
The fruit of the sea buckthorn bush reaches full ripeness
in the autumn. At that point, numerous small, closely bunched
reddish-yellow berries appear amongst the longish, silver-grey
eaves of the shrub. The berries are classified botanically as
“false stone fruits”, as their juicy pulp encloses the actual
nutlike fruit as a kind of “fruit skin”. The juicy reddish-orange
fruit skin, which contains substantial amounts of ethereal oils,
is processed for consumption.
Flavour
Because its small, reddish-yellow berries are tart and extremely
sour, sea buckthorn is usually sold in processed form. People in
Germany enjoy it as juice, puree, thickened pulp or marmalade,
as it tastes milder in these forms. Regardless of the form in
which it is consumed, the general rule is that sea buckthorn should
not be eaten pure, but enjoyed instead as a refining ingredient in
foods and beverages. Its tart-acidic note adds that certain something
to sweet and savoury dishes as well as sauces and beverages.