Barberry berries are used as a seasoning by chefs in many countries. It is impossible to imagine Uzbek pilaf without the fruits of this shrub, they are put in tea, jelly, compote, added to fatty meat, barbecue, jelly, marmalade and other dishes.
Almost all dishes in Central Asia are prepared with barberry berries; they can be used to acidify fatty broth, shashlik 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 barberries. Other seasonings are also put in such dishes: pepper, cumin, garlic, cilantro, basil. By the way, barberry berries do not have to be added to meat, you can make a wonderful sauce from them and serve it as an addition to a dish. To do this, the fruits must be soaked, and when they become softer, rub through a sieve.
Juice is prepared from the fruit of barberry, and other drinks are tinted with it. And if you put the berries in a glass jar, pour cold water and put them in the cellar, after a while you get a delicious kvass. If you don't have lemon on hand, you can replace it with barberry juice.
For different dishes, both fresh and whole berries, as well as dried and chopped berries are used. They will help give unleavened soups, such as pea soups, a rich taste and aroma. In Tajik cuisine, the fruits are put into sausages and sayhat 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 soup from them. Young leaves are also added to pickles and vegetable salads.
In summer, you can use fresh barberry berries for making tea, and dried ones in winter. Put 1 tablespoon of berries in a teapot and pour 1 glass of boiling water, let it brew for 30 minutes.
By the way, you can add fresh leaves and thin shrub twigs to the berries. This drink will enrich the body with vitamins and help boost immunity.
