Berries of barberry are used as seasoning by cooks in many countries. Without the fruits of this shrub, it is impossible to imagine Uzbek pilaf, they are put in tea, jelly, compote, added to fatty meat, barbecue, jelly, marmalade and other dishes.
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Almost all dishes in Central Asia are prepared with barberry berries, with their help you can acidify fatty broth, kebab and minced meat. This seasoning is added not only to lamb and beef, but also to chicken, duck, goose and partridge. For example, any poultry can be stuffed with rice, onions and chopped barberry berries. Other seasonings are also placed in such dishes: pepper, zira, garlic, cilantro, basil. By the way, barberry berries do not have to be added to meat, you can make a wonderful sauce out of them and serve it as an addition to the dish. To do this, the fruits need to be soaked, and when they become softer, wipe through a sieve.
Juice is prepared from the fruits of barberry, other drinks are tinted with it. And if you put the berries in a glass jar, pour cold water and put in the cellar, after a while you get a delicious kvass. If there is no lemon on hand, it can be replaced with barberry juice.
For different dishes, both fresh and whole berries are used, as well as dried and chopped. They will help to give fresh soups, such as pea, a rich taste and aroma. In Tajik cuisine, the fruits are placed in sausages and saekhat soup.
The leaves of this shrub are less popular, but still they are also used for cooking. They perfectly replace sorrel, so you can cook delicious green cabbage from them. Young leaves are also added to marinades and vegetable salads.
How to make herbal tea with barberry berries?
In summer, you can use fresh berries of barberry to make tea, and dried in winter. Put 1 tablespoon of berries in a teapot and pour 1 cup of boiling water, let it brew for 30 minutes.
By the way, you can add fresh leaves and thin twigs of shrubs to the berries. This drink will enrich the body with vitamins and help boost immunity.