Cornelian cherry
Cornus masCornelian cherry trees bloom yellow in early spring before their leaves appear; they are among the first signs of spring in the mountains.
What is Cornelian cherry?
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is a plant of the Cornaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Part used: fruit.
What is Cornelian cherry used for?
Traditional use: The fruit becomes jam, syrup, tarhana and fruit leather. Scientific evidence: limited. Rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C.
Is Cornelian cherry safe?
Safety label: generally safe. Safe as food.
Traditional use
The fruit becomes jam, syrup, tarhana and fruit leather. In folk use its sherbet is drunk for diarrhoea and fevers.
Dried cornelian cherries are stored as a winter vitamin source.
In nature
Mix-up risk
Can resemble the red berries of some poisonous ornamental shrubs; cornelian cherries are oblong with a single stone.
Preparation
The fruit is boiled into syrup or jam, or dried.
What science says
Rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C. Small studies report slight improvements in blood lipids.
Safety
Safe as food.
Similar plants
Stinging nettle
Salep orchids
Thyme and oregano
Sources
- ResearchCornus mas: a review on traditional uses and pharmacological properties
- ResearchCornelian cherry, cardiometabolic health, and dietary intake: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis
- BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
- Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Cornus mas
- Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.
Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe