Gooseberries
Gooseberries (also called Goldenberries, Inca berries or Appeliefies in Afrikaans) originated in Peru but have been cultivated in the Cape since the early 1800s.
Being an orange fruit the Cape gooseberry contains antioxidants such as vitamin C as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids, all of which promote good health.
Ripe they have the flavour of sweet and sour candy, but they also make a delicious, tart, and highly nutritious and exotic "raisin" if you’d like to dry them.
Their complex flavour pairs them nicely with chocolate, wine, venison, pork, in muffins, cheesecakes and trifles.
Try them in a super-healthy smoothie with pineapple and cucumber. Or combine a variety of green lettuce with chopped parsley, mint, chives and rosemary, scatter a handful of gooseberries over and top with melted brie.
In South Africa, the leaves are heated and applied as poultice on inflammations. The people of the Zulu tribe believe that an infusion made with the leaves relieve abdominal ailments in children.