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Cambria olallieberries: Love child of the blackberry & raspberry
Real, tried-and-true, tasty treats and where to find them. They are worth a trip, no matter how far you may have to travel.
Cambria, California, is almost too precious, a town made of candles and butterflies. It's what the world would look like if your grammy were in charge. But Cambria also is a prime nesting place of the underappreciated olallieberry.
Underappreciated what?
"We have so many guests who are surprised to learn that it's a real berry," says Marjorie Ott of the Olallieberry Inn. "They think we made it up."
Well, someone did. The olallieberry (pronounced oh-LA-la-berry) is the love child of the blackberry and European red raspberry. Developed at Oregon State in the late '40s for use in the Northwest, the olallieberry thrived better in California. It is found in moist, temperate zones such as Santa Cruz and around Cambria, where it's used in pies, preserves, lemonade and other sweet treats.
Larger and more tart than a blackberry, the olallie holds up well in baking. It has zing; it has character. So why isn't this berry more prevalent?
"They are low-producing when compared to a grape or tomato plant," says Aaron Linn of Linn's Fruit Bin. Although Linn's sells olallieberry products all year, the actual berry season is short—the end of May to the end of July.
Somehow, little berry, that only makes me want you more.
Linn's Fruit Bin, www.linnsfruitbin.com.
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