If you have ever walked in the downtown core of Kingston or in the busy Half Way Tree, you may have come across vendors who claim to be selling ‘Ribena’.
While Ribena is a brand name of black currant juice, what they are really selling is the highly nutritious black currants.
From the juice to the oil inside its seeds, black currants are great.
Check out 10 facts about Black Currants :
- Blackcurrants are often dubbed the “forgotten fruit” because they are highly nutritious but not very popular.
- The fruit of the blackcurrant can be eaten raw; however it has a strong, tart flavour.
- Blackcurrants have four times more vitamin C in them than oranges.
- Blackcurrant seed oil is a major ingredient in cosmetics preparations; it is often combined with vitamin E.
- Dark circles under tired eyes, according to a recent study, can be reduced through the consumption of Blackcurrants.
- Polyphenols found inside blackcurrants are believed to improve blood circulation.
- Annually, Japan imports $3.6 million of New Zealand blackcurrants.
- In traditional medicine, blackcurrants were used for arthritis, spasmodic cough, diarrhoea and as a diuretic and for treating a sore throat.
- Black currants are effective against cancers, as they are rich in antioxidant content. These antioxidants provide blackcurrants with its anticancer properties.
- Blackcurrants are a common ingredient of Rødgrød, a popular kissel-like dessert in North German and Danish cuisines
Next time you see black currant laying around under a tree, don't be afraid to get your fingers colorful else gwaan go buy it Downtown Kingston.