Mulberry
There is a picture somewhere of when I was eight or nine months old and my mother took me to eat mulberries for the first time. I am sitting in the crook of her arm while she plucks berries from the bush. At some point the whole front of my dress, my hands, and my face turned purple from the juice and I still kept asking for more. Then someone took a picture and the beginning of my love affair with mulberries was officially documented. Three years ago, as a gift to me, my mom planted a mulberry bush at her farm.
— Mukta Patil, Goa
What is it?
Mulberries are sweet fruits without seeds and resemble elongated blackberries. Each fruit is 2-3 centimetres long. Unripe fruits come in shades of white, green or pale yellow. The fruit develops sweetness and a dark black colour as it ripens.
What other names does it have?
Botanical Name: Morus nigra
Regional Names: Shahtoot (Hindi, Urdu), Kalatoot (Marathi, Bengali)
When is it in season?
Where is it found?
In India, mulberries thrive in tropical and temperate climates with ideal temperatures ranging between 24°C and 28°C. The trees require full sunlight, about 9 and 13 hours a day, and annual rainfall between 600 and 2,500 mm. Mulberry trees prefer deep, fertile, loamy-to-clayey soils with good drainage and high moisture retention.
What is its history/cultural significance?
The Hindi and Urdu name for mulberries, ‘shahtoot’, is derived from the words ‘shah’, meaning ‘emperor’ and ‘toot’, meaning ‘berry’, together known as ‘King’s Berries’. Native to southwestern Asia, mulberries have spread and naturalised in India and across the Indian subcontinent. The tree is sometimes used for silkworm rearing, with the worms feeding on the mulberry leaves. Primarily, Morus Alba is the species used for silkworm rearing. The wood from mulberry trees is used for making furniture and toys.
How can you use it?
Mulberries can be eaten raw or added to smoothies, yoghurt, or fruit salads. The fruit can be fermented into wine or cooked down into jams, pies, and cakes. It can also be dried or dehydrated and eaten as a dry fruit.
What states can I find it in?
What parts of the plant are edible?
Fruit, leaves
Is it nutritious?
As per this research, mulberries are a rich source of potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
How do you store it?
Fresh mulberry fruits are highly perishable and must be stored in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage. The fruits should only be washed before consumption. In the refrigerator, they can stay fresh for 2-3 days. Freezing is effective for long-term storage. The fruits can be spread in a single layer, frozen, and then stored in zip-lock bags where they can remain fresh for 6-12 months. Mulberries can also be dried and stored in an airtight glass jar for 6-12 months.
Stories:
Finding mulberries (shahtoot) in Delhi by Deepa
A blog post on mulberries found in Delhi, along with a recipe for sherbet.
Recipes:
Mulberry Jam Recipe by Manuela
Mulberry Sharbat Recipe by Natasha Minocha
‘Know Your Desi Ingredients’ is an ever-expanding repository of knowledge for ingredients that are native to the Indian subcontinent and adapted into the mainstream culinary narratives of people, places, and cultures across India. If you would like to share more information about the write-ups featured here, send us an email at connect@thelocavore.in with your inputs and any verified sources we should look into.