Goldenberry Review - Weird Fruit Explorer : Episode 16

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[@bigbadbovine]

Seven years later I buy a pint of Goldenberries one week and then a Jackfruit the next week at the same Kroger's in a small town in Michigan. Weird Explorer's influence on society shouldn't be underestimated.

[@bluesteno64]

Found some of these goldenberries at a family fare in west Michigan today. Good to see a fellow Michigander here

[@bluesteno64]

@Thegingerbreadm4n Ayyy! Found some in a Meijer a few months back too. So glad they’re back in stock.

[@GrayGreat-64826]

I just found some at meijer too. Not a fan of the flavor. Like a bad tomato with the seediness of a blackberry.

[@ShineHatfield]

"Oh, btw, THIS we don't need" **Throws cake**

[@WeirdExplorer]

I've been waiting five years for someone to notice that I threw the cake. thank you.

[@amino5453]

@@WeirdExplorer Haha nice try

[@ABY68193]

@@WeirdExplorer no you didn't lol

[@CLCIII]

Actually it was just the packaging. Lol!

[@monarchatto6095]

CLC III He put the cake inside the packaging though.

[@harisongriffin]

They grow in the woods where I’m from and we call them ground cherry

[@kiarareed5702]

Cool I just tried one for the first time to today. It does remind me of a tomato that tastes like a raspberry.

[@marcosmusixpcmusicam]

Hi, I have some plants and this year tasted a lot of them, they are super sweet if you pick them when the cape is traslucid and brown, very good tasting in this stage, like a cross of grapes and tomatoes.

[@zacarchibald3157]

I've never heard grapes before I'd say strawberry

[@vv1050]

These berries are currently having a certified Moment on Chinese web right now! They're called Guniang Guo, and grow naturally in northern Heilongjiang Province which borders Russia. Some famous farmer vloggers from the region started selling the berries that grew on their property. Now they're allocating land for farming because they got so trendy. When I found out about Goldenberries from my parents I was curious about the taste, but Chinese web only describes them (unhelpfully) as "uniquely sweet." So I instantly went on KZbin and typed in "Golden Berry Weird Explorer" hoping you've tried it. Thank you, 9 years later, for the video and your much-more-informative description!

[@AimeeColeman]

Ribena is an English drink. It was invented here in Bristol, and blackcurrants and physalis (golden berries) are quite common over here :)

[@backyardsnackyard]

I grow these in my garden in England. They aren't cold hardy, so all died during a freezing cold spell; I'm starting them again from seed. They are delicious; the fresh ones have lovely vanilla and pineapple notes. Very tropical and zingy.

[@idontevenknow4298]

I love the golden berries! they are v reminiscent of tomatoes and a little sour but also sweet. They actually sell them at Trader Joes which is convenient.

[@Coastie1548]

Just tried these yesterday and to me they taste similar to dates. The goldenberry is now my new favorite fruit.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Yeah they are tasty. :)

[@drvelocci]

@@WeirdExplorer i grew some from seed

[@chucKieROx]

“it’s more closely related to a tomato” I tried my first cape gooseberry this week and literally described it to my sis as a tomato with an attitude before I learned this. Loved it though, and probably got 100% of my yearly vitamin C dose as well. I’ve been subscribed for over a year but I love typing obscure fruits that I try in the KZbin search bar and finding your videos. Keep up the great work man, and send me some of your fruity vibes 💕

[@HKSlapActual]

I just found these at Trader Joe’s and came here to see if you had tried one. Low and behold haha

[@Lyn-no1ci]

I bought these today at the market and I was so exited to come onto one of your videos and recommend you try them but of course you already have!

[@WeirdExplorer]

Glad you found some. They're great!

[@AbsoluteNut1]

I almost bought these today! Dammit!

[@leggoart5799]

These tasty treats grow almost everywhere in south africa, like black berries (BRAMBLES), the birds love them and spread their seeds everywhere :)

[@ooshogunoo6004]

In Colombia we call them Uchuvas and is one of the more common fruits there and personally my favorite!

[@WeirdExplorer]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed your video as well, I have never seen the plant before, its very unique looking! Thanks!

[@bconsilio3764]

Earlier this summer I found golden berries at Aldi. Label said gooseberries. No capes. Something between sticky and slimy on the outside. Half pint about $2.50. Loved them. Very tart.

[@verticalmatt]

this is my favorite fruit now, i am eating handful after handful, and they are wrapped so pretty. It really is tart, like a cheese, it really is an obvious match for chocolate, although i havent tried it but alone yet. i cant' stop eating them

[@verticalmatt]

this fruit i s probably the best balance of sweet and acidity i've ever found in nature

[@ColdDaBlood]

In Québec we call those "cerise de terre" if you translate it literally it mean earth cherry. It's very popular here and grow very well in the region

[@Lightning_Lance]

we call potato "aardappel" in Dutch, which means "earth apple". :)

[@lunalovedraw3783]

Wouldn’t that mean dirt cherry? Terre means dirt

[@mariamartin2768]

​@@lunalovedraw3783 Ya but in french it can means both. Terre is a generic word for everything link to the ground. Yes you can say dirt, but you can say earth, soil, ground, maybe not mud or sand 'cause it's too different from a garden soil.

[@mariamartin2768]

@@Lightning_Lance In french (Québec) too ^^ Pomme de terre = earth apple. Our culture think the same about those ; p

[@Lightning_Lance]

@@mariamartin2768 I'm guessing Terre is cognate with the english Terrain.

[@Lightning_Lance]

I bought some this week ("Physalis" was the name in the Netherlands), and they are superb. They go great with lots of stuff, because they have almost all the flavors - sour, sweet, umami, and they're even a bit salty too. For instance, they are great on cheese, pineapple, avocado, egg, mushroom, etc. Or just in a fruit bowl.

[@plumtucker9514]

I found some of these at my shaw's, and at first, I thought it was a yellow tomato, but it was in packaging more like a berry. I loved them cut up on a warmed cream cheese bagel.

[@majorsmurf-productionsmsp1737]

I live in south africa in the western cape and we have those here .My grandmother had a big tree in her yard me and my cousins used to picked clean everytime we went to visit.

[@MichaelCicconeExplores]

thank you. I ate golden berries I bought from the East end food co-op in Pittsburgh, Pa (USA). this is the first time I tried golden berries. they taste like sweet cherry tomatos. I have also tried gooseberries purchased at giant eagle. they taste similar (sorry of mellony and no tomato taste). the goose berries are a bit larger (about the size of an unwrapped golden berry. I thought they were the same fruit. thanks for clarifying that. where I live I like to forage for wild fruit. currently wild apples and grapes are out. there is even a tree with grapes and apples on the same tree. some of my other wild favorites are thimble berries, chokecherries, and wine berries (invasive member of rasberry family). hunting for and gathering wild fruit is one of my favorite things, as is trying new to me store fruits. just last week I discovered a wild apples tree that grows cherry shaped (and colored yellow, red and or green apples). I'd swear it was a cherry if I didn't taste it. even the stem is cherry like. each year I discover a few new wild or bought fruits. thank you.

[@marialiyubman]

I tried this in Germany and fell in love. I could eat thousands of these. 😍 They are now my favorite fruit (maybe after bananas).

[@graysongregory9585]

I'd enjoy seeing this video remade with your current scales for sweetness, sourness, etc. I'm wondering about trying to plant some of these in my garden next spring but I'd like to use the space for something on the sweet side and I haven't been able to find any reviews on cape gooseberry that give any quantifiable level of sweetness. I trust your opinion after watching a few hundred of these episodes so a remake of this early video would be awesome

[@entirelybonkers8832]

They're a bit sour kind of like kiwi in my opinion but I'm sure if you let them ripen longer than the ones I typically eat they get a little sweeter

[@dogvom]

I found a couple of boxes of these at an Aldi here in Chicago last week. I am enjoying some as I write this. Very flavourful!

[@hatesouffle]

I approve this since my country is obsessed with it

[@hatesouffle]

@@Smiiley yay

[@randomrandom5316]

What country?

[@hatesouffle]

@@randomrandom5316 Arab countries!

[@crystalbasham6931]

I'm new to watching you, but I'm hooked. Thank you for doing this.

[@Bugsaresocool]

got one on a dessert yesterday. pretty nice fruit honestly. the tart flavour was enjoyable

[@fenix0seraph]

The local farmer's market sells these mixed in with tiny cherry tomatoes, while the organic grocer sells these as gooseberries. I kept getting contradictory information as to what they're supposed to be called and what kind of fruit they are but all I care is that they do taste really good.

[@ellemiller3268]

I bought these as “pichuberries” at a health store. The best thing I made was a rice and bean bowl with sriracha, tomato, cheese and quartered goldenberries. It added a ton of flavor.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Good idea! Yeah there are a few companies mass marketing these under different names now. Hopefully these will start catching on!

[@effff327]

I will try this

[@alabala281]

These are amassing. I have a bush currently on my balcony. In 2,3 months all have the fruits. Yummy

[@WeirdExplorer]

Lucky! They are great.

[@fahdal-kheralla1405]

I have a Cape Goose berry plant at home and it still isn't close to ripening. Also in NZ we have Ribena and a market of fresh berries like (Raspberries) though I hardly see fresh ones.

[@ItsMePhiliph]

They’re just so delicious, but honestly all my life I thought they were related to Citruses because their flavors are perfectly mixed.

[@SuperCripple]

Never fails, anytime I come across a new fruit I've never heard of I have to jump on KZbin and see if you've reviewed it already.

[@backyardsnackyard]

Me too - I check if they're worth growing😃

[@radeon8461]

There is a huge amount of name overlap between various different physalis species. Goldenberry typically refers to Physalis peruviana, peruvian ground cherry, also called Inca berry or Poha berry, they are a different species to the typical wild physalis species we find in the US that are also called ground cherries, and more confusingly most physalis fruit you see sold in stores are cultivars of another separate species, Physalis pruinosa, which is native to Mexico and central America. All of these species, and more, are interchangeably called ground cherries and cape gooseberry among other common names. If I had to guess, this was probably an example of Physalis pruinosa, and it is said that peruviana has the best flavor. Would be interesting one day to see him try one of the Asian species that are more often grown for ornamental purposes, often called "Chinese Lanterns".

[@travisporco]

hello skinny...love it. haven't heard this in years

[@djoulliegeraldizo3578]

I used to play with those during my childhood, i don't dare to taste it because my mom told me those were poison, and the smell is not that good. But i was surprised when i saw it sold on the market and now you did a review.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Chacha Cruz These aren't poison, but it is a nightshade, so it may have poisonous relatives. They are becoming quite common in NYC now. I've seen them at several markets.

[@thatsalotofsodiumcoins1615]

I love these I always called them ground cherries for some reason though

[@MilesAwayBg]

It's a physalis!!! And it's super tasty. My grandmom had those in her garden (back in Bulgaria).

[@null_9689]

I used to eat this a lot when i was kid, they grow everywhere

[@MsHojat]

These guys have a very unique taste. Very exotic kind of taste. I agree that I suppose it is a bit tomato-like though, but obviously much sweeter and more fruit-typical flavor. I'd say like a ripe plum and/or apricot crossed with a tomato or something. (at least going by memory. I haven't had one in some years)

[@BeholdItKnits]

Yeah, I would describe them as a slightly tart tropical tomato.

[@verticalmatt]

likes dates the ones that become overripe are much sweeter, less to not acidic at all. they can become dehydrated when very overipe inside their cocoon, and they taste like raisins

[@Greenmamafrom30BAD]

I love your videos--throwing the cake box over your shoulder was awesome. I must correct you, however. This fruit IS grown all over America. We call it a groundcherry. In the "olden days" it was often picked unripe to put in pies. You can still find it sometimes in farmer's markets or growing wild in ditches. Seeds are easy to order from anywhere that sells heirloom seeds online. (You only have to order once--they will reseed themselves easily after that.) I grow it in my garden because my children and I love harvesting them ripe and snacking on them. The plant is low-growing and looks more like a potato plant. The fruit look like miniature paper lanterns and fall off very easily as they approach ripeness. When the outer husk is dry, papery, and pale yellow, and the berry turns from green to golden, then they taste delicious without any added sweetener. They have a tart/ sweet refreshing flavor. To me, they are not very tomato-ey. But there is a hint of tomato.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Thanks for the info and I'm glad you are enjoying the videos! I'm not sure exactly what I said in the video (and my internet connection right now is too awful to double check at the moment) but I think what I was getting at is that it isn't grown much commercially. I have seen it at specialty markets in the USA, so what you say makes perfect sense. I'm in Hong Kong right now and I've been seeing these at the supermarkets everywhere! I only hope the grocery stores in the US catch on soon!

[@eugene6472]

i bought some seeds a few years back. I thought these may make a good permaculture plant. I find they taste alright. If I was starving they would be a good food source. But I find them a bit odd tasting. Not my thing. Also the seeds will sprout up the next year. Even in Zone 4 USA. I will usually let one or two grow. They are attractive as an ornamental.

[@ouchjake3820]

I got some of these today! They are very cool.

[@mskinetik]

I just bought some at Trader Joes and and knew you would have a video so I had to watch to see you're impression before I try it :) I am 100% certain some people have grabbed Goldenberries thinking they were yellow tomatoes and didn't realize the mixup until they bit into one 🤣 BTW... I know this will bug you since you mentioned the great debate... this is what it says on the label: Golden Berries a.k.a. Cape Gooseberries ( by SunBelle)

[@nikaylasadler536]

There are several related edible species growing wild near Dallas, TX (including Physalis Pubescens and Physalis Viscosa). The ones I've tried (picked when the husks were dry) were smaller and less juicy than store-bought ones, but not sour at all. Flavors vary from one plant to another, but many taste like a cross between ripe mango and yellow bell pepper. Great in salsa, but not bad as a snack, either.

[@MichaelCicconeExplores]

come to think of it- the golden berries I have appear to have come from Clarion river organics in Sligo, Pa (about 50 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh)

[@ace_bean7011]

The german word for this is close to the latin name. It's also used as decoration in autumn (mostly out of plastic since it doesn't go bad). But sometimes you can also find the fruit in german supermarkets :) I just ate some last week

[@preppypinkcrocodile3400]

Is it the same thing as a Ground Cherry or Pineapple Tomatillo? It looks the same to me. I grow both (which I swear are the same thing but the seed packets claim differently) easily in NY. Grow tall just like regular tomatillos. One of my garden favorites.

[@WeirdExplorer]

They are sometimes called groundcherries too. Never heard of a pinapple tomatillo, they could be a close relative.

[@izonker]

Jared Rydelek I grew up with these being called "Ground Cherries" here in California as well.. thought in fairness, I think it was a regional term left over slang my mom's side of the family, who were from North Carolina .. it is a shame they are so difficult to find now.. as I remember them they were like sweet tomatillos in taste

[@WeirdExplorer]

I run into these quite a bit at high end markets, but they are far to expensive for me to buy regularly. :/

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

I highly recommend growing ground cherries, they're low maintenance and delicious 😋

[@finniethecat]

In Finnish supermarkets they are called ananas kirsikka which translates to pineapple cherry 🍍🍒

[@natalie3805]

These are very popular in Northern Germany, and are called Sanddorn. :)

[@fridayfahrenheit5753]

Nenene Sanddorn ist Sanddorn und Goldenberry ist Physalis

[@ValenciaVile]

I loooove golden berries

[@theuncalledfor]

Physalis! I love those!

[@willlastnameguy8329]

I found these at a grocery story recently. Delicious. I decided to see if you had a review.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Yep! They make a good ketchup too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5WvhJaGhJmHsM0

[@flamah10n]

Dude the smell of physalia is so good!

[@nickbarber2080]

Ribena originates in the UK. A vast proportion of Britain's Black-currant crop (over 90%) goes to make Ribena. It's an odd fruit...it tastes quite nasty until it is cooked when it becomes delicious.

[@centripetal6157]

Munching on these right now from the grocery store... it's like what you said: juicy tomato flavor with an acidic pineapple flavor.. very weird taste indeed

[@donivanhummel3106]

Chinese lanterns are what many people call them. They look like little lanterns on the plant and the berry is inside. I have them in my yard

[@entirelybonkers8832]

They have these in the grocery store where i live to me they taste a lot like raspberry and kiwi to me

[@malfestioscafe404]

I have a local supermarket here in my town where they sell these with the name of "physalis". I was really surprised when I saw them and immediately came here to see if you reviewed them but i wanna ask you, should I buy a pack? I don't really enjoy tomato's flavor so i'm hesitant to buy them just to try them but i wanna know your opinion. Anyways I really love your videos keep it up!

[@MrHarmfulHarry]

Cape Gooseberries to me taste like pineapple with berry taste, namely blackberry, not bad. They're pretty pungent eating raw though, and tart. But then you get slapped with the subtle flavors and aftertaste. There's a chlorophyll taste to them which you can deal with. You also get a hint of umami tomato flavor which throws the whole thing off, and at the end, you get a taste I can only describe as what dogwood flowers smell like. I assume that it's what you didn't like about tomatillo, almost like a funky cheese but not quite. They, like tomatillos (another fruit in the genus physalis within the nightshade family) have a styrofoam-like texture that I don't particularly enjoy. Even more closely related to the tomatillo than the tomato. Good news about them though is that they're amazing in salsas, have very few sugars (or any carbohydrates for that matter), and have a little bit of protein. I'm gonna try with chocolate or sugar and report back the next time I get the chance to try them. Edit: I just watched and you agreed with me for the most part, lmao

[@lockergr]

These taste great dipped in a dark chocolate. They have a slightly smokey flavor to them.

[@jevvf3246]

Ohhhh great idea

[@amyrock9260]

I just tried these the other day. I wasn’t really crazy about them. To me they tasted a bit like a kiwi (which I like), but then they had this really kind of musky aftertaste. Did you find them to be weirdly “slippery” to the touch? Mine were. I know there was a bit of mold on a couple in the bottom of the container I had, but I do not believe the ones I tried were moldy at all, and I washed them thoroughly before eating. And they were STILL slightly slippery. Love your videos!!!!

[@BeholdItKnits]

The stickiness/slipperiness is normal. There are glands in the papery lantern that produce a sticky substance that is believed to protect the developing fruit from insects etc.

[@verticalmatt]

it doesnt traste like tomato, it's just as juicy and the seeds dont bother, as in a cherry tomato. it is tart though, it's probably the sweetest thing that can go well with beer

[@alastairlloyd3779]

I love dried ones.

[@Bathroomsingaaa]

Rasbhari means filled with juice

[@kishanky1352]

They are kinda expensive here in NYC, but taste incredible

[@SubjectiveFunny]

Physalis they are called in the UK.

[@cdfranklin1599]

Is this the same ad ground cherries? We grew some ground cherries and they were really good. A couple of them, I don't know if they were under or over ripe, but they tasted like cake, it was amazing! Most tasted like you describes, like berries with a little of a tomato taste, but not in a bad way.

[@WeirdExplorer]

yep, same thing!

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

I ate one that tasted like butterscotch once. They keep surprising me...

[@xXthatsexypandaXx]

I just bought these and they are like tiny sour tomato’s they don’t really taste like tomato’s but they have a lot of seeds and the texture reminds me of a baby tomato

[@jasong6027]

Just had my first golden berry. Good. Definitely finishes with that tomatoey taste. But I would say more kiwi like than raspberry like the reviews I saw say,including here. You know the thin layer of very tart flesh of kiwi just below the skin. That's what I get anyway

[@dondobbs9302]

Seen as "Chinese Lanterns" as a kid (it's similar,but not exactly the same plant.) I just got some from a Thai market the other day. They're called Cape Gooseberry here except it's pronounced "Grape Juice Berry" so,it's kind of confusing. Wow! another Solanaceae to eat! Wiki says their origin is Peru and they have been cultivated in England and South Africa (Cape of Good Hope.) Nice using 'Hello Skinny' as an intro! The Residents are definitely weird explorers.

[@frontal_arse2171]

Ribena gets everywhere we have it in the UK

[@WeirdExplorer]

+frontal_arse Black currants have been illegal in the US for ages (I think they are technically legal now though) so its not a well known or popular fruit here. I've seen Ribena at asian super markets, but thats about it.

[@Myshka331]

+Jared Rydelek Black currants are/were illegal in the US?! Here in Canada, my parents and grandparents, as well as other people I know, grow them in their gardens and they are very popular in jelly, etc. The things you learn! As for Ribena, another country where it is very popular is Nigeria.

[@frontal_arse2171]

Jared Rydelek wow didn't know that.

[@peterpiper2879]

Ribena is British and have a pretty cool history like how they gave out ribena for free to kids during ww2 as a vitamin c supplement they also make awesome ads for tv, and a old British remedy is to drink Ribena hot to help with cold and flu also recently they made winter spice flavour what they tell you to serve hot some fruity Ribena facts ;)

[@TALKCalgary]

Everything you could want to know if about golden berries in one video!

[@aftabahmadfarooq4710]

Golden berry very useful for overall health,,,, never miss it....

[@yanahuaras]

Did you trip to Perú? dont miss original and ancient name in quechua languaje: Aguaymanto.

[@bobodeyuca]

chevere,supongo que eres de perú. Sabes quechua?

[@Onyxx98]

in germany we call them Physalis too

[@scotsolomon2729]

I just picked these up at Trader Joes’. Related to the tomatillo.

[@pkre707]

I bought these the other day. That mix of vegetal tomato flavor and pineapple instantly reminded of vomit. Like when you eat a salad and some fruit an they mix in your stomach and come back out. Gnarly

[@tongthaivuong]

Agreed. To this day I still don't understand how people like it.

[@CH11LER.]

Here in the UK, We call them physalis. Sounds like an STI to me 🤣🤣

[@MaxOakland]

These are almost the same as chinese lanterns but more edible. The taste is really strong, tart, and strange

[@wailandkarisma4279]

Where I'm from it's called ciplukan, it's got a tart cheesy funk to them. Weird.

[@chrishelmuth4065]

Just found a bit on Lucuma - another orange flesh fruit from South America. Have you heard of it?

[@matt-jv8gh]

they're also called husk cherries

[@DEDERTEEE]

Alchechengi or Peruvian groundcherry (Physalis peruviana) or Chinese lantern (Alkekengi)

[@gagebarrilleaux9503]

In Hawaii we Call these Poha Berries

[@kyojane9825]

Ribena is a big UK thing. R eye bena. It's literally the first drink most kids have besides milk. It's in every packed lunch for school haha. It's crazy thinking Americans have no idea it exists. Ah the simple pleasure of a Ribena and a kinder egg :D

[@WeirdExplorer]

Blackcurrants and kinder eggs were both banned in the USA for the longest time.. you guys get to have all the fun.

[@kyojane9825]

hahaha Tbf though i never discovered the joy of Root Beer till my first trip to the US and i'm now obsessed lols

[@thatskums]

In Hindi Ras means juice and bhari means juice. So rasbhari means filled with juice.

[@almostliterally593]

I love cape gooseberries

[@retf8977]

They are called "Harankash (حرنكش)" in Arabic. Extremely addictive, I can eat a whole 2 kg bag of these in a half day all by myself.

[@zacarchibald3157]

I saw Theseus at the store the day after this video! Interesting tastes like a strawberry flavored tomato

[@SrinivasaReddyMuly]

thanks a ton. I'm relying on your videos in deciding on what fruit plants to put on my new backyard. did you mean `raspberry` with a `p` as what it is called in India?

[@oftin_wong]

They are good ..make a delicous chutney for your pork chop

[@JigokuShoujo543]

Yeah we call them physalis in germany. They're sticky but I really like them. Expensive though.

[@Mobyus4045]

I tried one for the first time today, and I think it tastes kind of like a kiwi

[@aubreyelf87]

The cake though 🥺

[@0xDEADBEEF666]

“Weird Fruit Explorer” Mandela Effect be damned!

[@chdreturns]

Ah Ribena, I have consumed enough UK media to know thats actually a British drink not a Malaysian one... You are supposed to dilute it with water before drinking. It is also known as squash.

[@rsplaine]

a kind of ground-cherry (aka physalis)