Boysenberry, a California treasure

Los Angeles Times / latimes.com ^ | May 27, 2010 | By David Karp, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[thecodont]

To the uninitiated, the boysenberry may look like a big, blowzy, underripe blackberry, but it is in fact a noble fruit, as distinct from a common blackberry as a thoroughbred is from a mule.

Large, dark purple, juicy and intense, it derives its unique flavor from its complex ancestry: sweetness and floral aroma from its raspberry grandmother, and a winy, feral tang from three native blackberry species.

It's a California classic, emblematic of the joys of growing up in the Southland before it succumbed completely to sprawl. And it's all the more precious, despite its near extinction in this state, because it evokes why people moved here in the first place.

But Boysens can still be found if you know where to look, although their season is brief — late May to early July — and they are so delicate that as a fresh fruit they can be enjoyed at their best only from farmers markets, farm stands and home gardens.

[calex59]

I spent part of my boyhood in LA(Bell Gardens to be exact), from Kindergarten until half way through my 5th grade year, a trip to Knotts Berry Farm was a yearly thing for the schools in that area. It was still a berry farm and even Disney Land hadn’t made an appearance yet. Knott’s was a great place and the pies were delicious.