Wild Blueberry Stone Pine Fruit Spread by Alpe Pragas, woody and dark
Wild Blueberry Stone Pine Fruit Spread by Alpe Pragas is Limited Edition 04, made from wild-grown forest blueberries refined with the resinous oil of the stone pine. Deep dark and woody, it tastes delicious on bread, served alongside aged mountain cheese, or drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Wild Blueberry Stone Pine Fruit Spread is a South Tyrolean specialty from Alpe Pragas in the Prags Valley. With a 75 percent fruit content, the small forest blueberries take center stage, complemented by sugar, a splash of lemon, apple pectin, and a few drops of stone pine oil.
Deep dark, woody, resinous spice
When opened, the aroma of dark berries rises first, followed by the resinous spice of the stone pine.
On bread, it tastes tart and deep, with the natural sweetness of the forest blueberry and a spice that brings to mind a walk through a mountain forest. Even a small amount turns an entire slice of buttered bread deep violet.
The consistency is soft and smooth, with whole little berries that remain visible when spread. Anyone familiar with the classic variety will immediately notice how much darker this jar is.
The stone pine remains in the background; a few drops of oil are sufficient, as any more would overpower the berry. This keeps the spread fruity while adding an edge usually associated with a glass of schnapps.
The little berry from the forest
Forest blueberries are significantly smaller than cultivated blueberries and are blue through and through.
While cultivated blueberries have light-colored flesh, their wild counterparts are dark to the core, which is exactly what gives this jar its color. Their aroma is more concentrated because the small berries contain less water and more pigment.
They are collected where they grow naturally, which makes the harvest laborious and limits the quantity. This is why this spread is released by Alpe Pragas as a limited edition rather than a permanent variety.
Stone pine, the tree of high altitudes
The stone pine (or Arolla pine) is an Alpine tree that grows right up to the timberline.
In South Tyrol, its light wood is used to panel traditional rooms, its shavings fill pillows, and its cones are used to make schnapps. Its oil smells resinous and warm—a fragrance that everyone in the mountains recognizes instantly.
In this jar, that scent meets a forest berry, both hailing from the same high altitude. Alpe Pragas doses the oil sparingly so that the spice accompanies the fruit rather than overtaking it.
The fruit spread for the cheese board
When paired with aged mountain cheese, the wild blueberry shows what its spice can do on a platter.
The saltiness of the cheese and the resinous note get along well, and a spoonful replaces any other sweet accompaniment. On dark farmhouse bread with cold butter, it becomes a snack that tastes like a mountain hut.
Drizzled over vanilla ice cream, it makes for a dessert with a forest flavor; in porridge or palatschinken (crepes), it keeps the morning dark and spicy. After opening, keep the jar in a cool place and finish it within a few weeks, while the stone pine scent is still fresh.
More varieties from the Dolomites can be found in the Alpe Pragas fruit spreads, and the entire South Tyrolean range in the Alpe Pragas collection.
