This Mysterious Red Berry of the Tropics

The edible red berry of the tropics

Secret Gems Of The Foraging World

Only those with a background and enthusiasm for foraging understand the hidden joys of a forager's realm. Spotting the season's first wild berry, partially concealed in a thicket at the path's edge or tucked within a cluster of shrubs, is a moment of discovery and revelation, even for an occasional forager like myself.

In well-known areas of wilderness, a forager would have already pinpointed the clusters of shrubs and herb spots, anticipating them to burst with edible leaves and berries as the seasons change. Each time one passes these areas, even if it isn't the fruiting or leaf-setting season, their eyes are drawn there, and the mind recalls that this is 'that spot' to watch. Eventually, the right season arrives, bringing forth from the earth all those hidden yet familiar shapes and colors, giving the forager a reason to pause and take notice once again.

'Kotta' the Red Berry: A Summer Fruit

This article discusses a hidden gem of a fruit. This wild plant, adorned with crimson red berries hanging in the thickets and intertwined with creepers and wild trees in my homestead, thrives in shaded areas. I often miss the berries when they are green, but suddenly they appear, looking as if they've been freshly painted red.

In our tropical climate, this plant produces fruit towards the end of summer, around April-May. The fruit is sour-sweet, and the edible portion is obtained by peeling open the red, soft, yet leathery rind. Inside, nestled in the scarlet red jelly, is a seed the size of a small wild gooseberry. It is the jelly or flesh that is consumed.

As children, whenever we ate this fruit, one or two seeds were often accidentally swallowed. The fruit's jelly covering the seed is slippery in the mouth. Swallowing it caused no harm. Children in my area used to refer to this berry as the 'Kotta' fruit. The lush green shrub with its abundant fruit is truly beautiful, with the fruits directly attached to the thin stems.

The edible red berry spotted in the foothill homesteads of the Western Ghats

The Plant Characteristics of 'Kotta'

This plant is a shrub with some characteristics of a climber. Although the stem is robust, it extends like vines and leans on sturdier nearby plants. The leaves are broad, and the stem has sporadic thorns.

I don't have any more information to provide about this plant, as I am unsure of its identity. However, each summer, these plants appear in the same spots in my homestead, making a dramatically spontaneous appearance. The plant is too inconspicuous to notice until one summer morning when it is covered with red berries.

An Endangered Species?

This plant likely belongs to an endangered species category. I have never seen it anywhere outside this village since my childhood.

I wonder how many wild berries have vanished as we urbanized and disrupted our natural ecosystem! I cannot find this plant in any online databases.

I have also explored numerous university websites in India that catalog regional flora. None of them feature a picture or description that matches this plant.