The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species. Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of these ...

'' of the

rose family Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

, most of which are in the

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

'' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

with woody stems. World production of raspberries in 2020 was 895,771

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...

s, led by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

with 20% of the total.

Description

A raspberry is an

aggregate fruit A raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle larva) is an aggregate fruit, an aggregate of drupe">raspberry_beetle.html" ;"title="raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle">raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle larva) is an aggre ...

, developing from the numerous distinct carpels of a single flower. What distinguishes the raspberry from its

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...

relatives is whether or not the torus ( receptacle or stem) "picks with" (i.e., stays with) the

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

. When picking a blackberry fruit, the torus stays with the fruit. With a raspberry, the torus remains on the plant, leaving a hollow core in the raspberry fruit. Raspberries are grown for the fresh fruit market and for commercial processing into individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit,

purée A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., apples ...

, juice, or as

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

used in a variety of grocery products such as

raspberry pie Raspberry pie is a type of pie with a raspberry filling. The primary ingredients include raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and butter. A common variant of raspberry pie is raspberry cream pies, which are raspberry pies with cream added. Ras ...

. Raspberries need ample sun and water for optimal development. Raspberries thrive in well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7 with ample organic matter to assist in retaining water. While moisture is essential, wet and heavy soils or excess irrigation can bring on ''

Phytophthora ''Phytophthora'' (from Greek language, Greek (''phytón''), "plant" and (), "destruction"; "the plant-destroyer") is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes (water molds), whose member species are capable of causing enormous economic losses on cro ...

'' root rot, which is one of the most serious pest problems facing the red raspberry. As a cultivated plant in moist, temperate regions, it is easy to grow and has a tendency to spread unless pruned. Escaped raspberries frequently appear as garden weeds, spread by seeds found in bird droppings. An individual raspberry weighs , and is made up of around 100

drupelet In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

s, each of which consists of a juicy pulp and a single central seed. A raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries a year. Unlike

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...

and

dewberries The dewberries are a group of species in the genus ''Rubus'', section ''Rubus'', closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing (rather than upright or high-arching) brambles with aggregate fruits, reminiscent of the raspberry, ...

, a raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from the receptacle. File:Raspberries from Srem, Serbia (sremske maline, Dobrinci).jpg, Raspberries from

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

File:Raspberries at Ljubljana Central Market.JPG, Raspberries for sale in plastic punnets at

Ljubljana Central Market The Ljubljana Central Market ( sl, Osrednja ljubljanska tržnica) is a market in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The riverside market building, sometimes referred to as Plečnik's Market ( sl, Plečnikova tržnica), was designed by Jože Plečnik between 193 ...

File:Raspberry - halved (Rubus idaeus).jpg, Halved raspberry with absent torus File:Halved blackberry (Rubus fruticosus).jpg, Halved blackberry with present torus

Etymology

Raspberry derives its name from ''raspise'', "a sweet rose-colored wine" (mid-15th century), from the

Anglo-Latin Anglo-Latin literature is literature from Britain originally written in Latin. It includes literature written in Latin from parts of Britain which were not in England or English-speaking: "Anglo-" is used here as a prefix meaning British rather tha ...

''vinum raspeys'', or from ''raspoie'', meaning "thicket", of Germanic origin. The name may have been influenced by its appearance as having a rough surface, related to Old English ''rasp'' or "rough berry".

Species

Examples of raspberry species in ''Rubus'' subgenus '' Idaeobatus'' include: * ''

Rubus crataegifolius ''Rubus crataegifolius'', also called Korean raspberry, is a species of raspberry native to East Asia. It is a shrub growing to 1–2 m (rarely 3 m) tall. The leaves are 5–12 cm long and 5–8 cm broad, palmately lobed with three or ...

'' (Asian raspberry) * ''

Rubus gunnianus ''Rubus gunnianus'' is a species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the family Rosaceae. It is a small herb that grows in subalpine and alpine habitats above 900m throughout Tasmania, and bears edible fruit. It is commonly known as the native strawberry o ...

'' (Tasmanian alpine raspberry) * ''

Rubus idaeus ''Rubus idaeus'' (raspberry, also called red raspberry or occasionally European red raspberry to distinguish it from other raspberry species) is a red-fruited species of ''Rubus'' native to Europe and northern Asia and commonly cultivated in othe ...

'' (red raspberry or European red raspberry) * ''

Rubus leucodermis ''Rubus leucodermis'', also called whitebark raspberry or blackcap raspberry, is a species of ''Rubus'' native to western North America. Description ''Rubus leucodermis'' is a deciduous shrub growing to , with prickly shoots. While the crown is ...

'' (whitebark raspberry or western raspberry, blue raspberry, black raspberry) * ''

Rubus occidentalis ''Rubus occidentalis'' is a species of ''Rubus'' native to eastern North America. Its common name black raspberry is shared with other closely related species. Other names occasionally used include bear's eye blackberry, black cap, black cap ras ...

'' (black raspberry) * ''

Rubus parvifolius ''Rubus parvifolius'', called Japanese bramble, or Australian raspberry in the United States or native raspberry in Australia is a species of plant in the rose family. It is a scrambling shrub native to eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam ...

'' (Australian native raspberry) * ''

Rubus phoenicolasius ''Rubus phoenicolasius'' (Japanese wineberry, wine raspberry, wineberry or dewberry) is an Asian species of raspberry (''Rubus'' subgenus '' Idaeobatus'') in the rose family, native to China, Japan, and Korea. The species was introduced to E ...

'' (wine raspberry or wineberry) * '' Rubus rosifolius'' (Mauritius raspberry) * ''

Rubus strigosus ''Rubus strigosus'', the American red raspberry or American raspberry, is a species of ''Rubus'' native to much of North America. It has often been treated as a variety or subspecies of the closely related Eurasian '' Rubus idaeus'' (red raspber ...

'' (American red raspberry) (syn. ''R. idaeus'' var. ''strigosus'') * ''

Rubus ellipticus ''Rubus ellipticus'', commonly known as ainselu, golden evergreen raspberry, golden Himalayan raspberry, or yellow Himalayan raspberry, is an Asian species of thorny fruiting shrub in the rose family. It is native to China, Nepal, India, Pakistan ...

'' (yellow Himalayan raspberry) Several species of ''Rubus'', also called raspberries, are classified in other subgenera, including: * ''

Rubus deliciosus ''Rubus deliciosus'' is a North American species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the United States. Common names include the delicious raspberry, boulder raspberry, Rocky Mountain raspberry or snowy bramble. Descripti ...

'' (boulder raspberry, subgenus ''Anoplobatus'') * ''

Rubus odoratus ''Rubus odoratus'', the purple-flowered raspberry,Clive Stace, R. van der Meijden, I. de Kort, no date. ''Flora of NW Europe''entry for ''Rubus odoratus''/ref> flowering raspberry, or Virginia raspberry, is a species of ''Rubus'', native to easte ...

'' (flowering raspberry, subgenus ''Anoplobatus'') * ''

Rubus nivalis ''Rubus nivalis'', commonly known as snow raspberry, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family. It is native to northwestern North America: British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and far northern California California is a ...

'' (snow raspberry, subgenus ''Chamaebatus'') * ''

Rubus arcticus ''Rubus arcticus'', the Arctic bramble or Arctic raspberry, is a species of slow-growing bramble belonging to the rose family, found in arctic and alpine regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Description ''Rubus arcticus'' grows most often in a ...

'' (Arctic raspberry, subgenus ''Cyclactis'') * '' Rubus sieboldii'' (Molucca raspberry, subgenus ''Malachobatus'')

Cultivation

Various kinds of raspberries can be cultivated from

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

s 3 to 9. Raspberries are traditionally planted in the winter as dormant canes, although planting of tender, plug plants produced by tissue culture has become much more common. A specialized production system called "long cane production" involves growing canes for a year in a northern climate such as

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, where the chilling requirement for proper bud break is attained, or attained earlier than the ultimate place of planting. These canes are then dug, roots and all, to be replanted in warmer climates such as Spain, where they quickly flower and produce a very early season crop. Plants are typically planted 2–6 per m in fertile, well drained soil; raspberries are usually planted in raised beds/ridges, if there is any question about root rot problems. All cultivars of raspberries have perennial roots, but many do not have perennial shoots. In fact, most raspberries have shoots that are

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

(meaning shoots grow in the first growing season and fruits grow on those shoots during the second growing season). The flowers can be a major

nectar source A nectar source is a flowering plant that produces nectar as part of its reproductive strategy. These plants create nectar, which attract pollinating insects and sometimes other animals such as birds. Nectar source plants are important for beekee ...

for

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...

s and other pollinators. Raspberries are vigorous and can be locally invasive. They propagate using

basal shoot Basal shoots, root sprouts, adventitious shoots, and suckers are words for various kinds of shoots that grow from adventitious buds on the base of a tree or shrub, or from adventitious buds on its roots. Shoots that grow from buds on the base of ...

s (also known as suckers), extended underground shoots that develop roots and individual plants. They can sucker new canes some distance from the main plant. For this reason, raspberries spread well, and can take over gardens if left unchecked. Raspberries are often propagated using cuttings, and will root readily in moist soil conditions. The fruit is harvested when it comes off the receptacle easily and has turned a deep color (red, black, purple, or golden yellow, depending on the species and cultivar). This is when the fruits are ripest and sweetest. High tunnel bramble production offers the opportunity to bridge gaps in availability during late fall and late spring. Furthermore, high tunnels allow less hardy floricane-fruiting raspberries to overwinter in climates where they would not otherwise survive. In the tunnel plants are established at close spacing usually prior to tunnel construction.

Cultivars

Major cultivars

Raspberries are an important commercial fruit crop, widely grown in all temperate regions of the world. Many of the most important modern commercial red raspberry

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s derive from hybrids between '' R. idaeus'' and '' R. strigosus''.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan . Some botanists consider the Eurasian and American red raspberries to belong to a single, circumboreal species, ''Rubus idaeus'', with the European plants then classified as either ''R. idaeus'' subsp. ''idaeus'' or ''R. idaeus''

var. In botanical nomenclature, variety (abbreviated var.; in la, varietas) is a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form. As such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name. It is sometimes recommended that the ...

''idaeus'', and the native North American red raspberries classified as either ''R. idaeus'' subsp. ''strigosus'', or ''R. idaeus''

''strigosus''. Recent breeding has resulted in

s that are thornless and more strongly upright, not needing staking. The black raspberry, ''

'', is also cultivated, providing both fresh and frozen fruit, as well as jams, preserves, and other products, all with that species' distinctive flavor. Purple raspberries have been produced by horticultural hybridization of red and black raspberries, and have also been found in the wild in a few places (for example, in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

) where the American red and the black raspberries both grow naturally. Commercial production of purple-fruited raspberries is rare. ''Blue raspberry'' is a local name used in

Prince Edward County, Ontario Prince Edward County (PEC) is a municipality in southern Ontario, Canada. Its coastline on Lake Ontario’s northeastern shore is known for Sandbanks Provincial Park, sand beaches, and limestone cliffs. The Regent Theatre, a restored Edwardian o ...

, Canada for the cultivar 'Columbian', a hybrid (purple raspberry) of ''R. strigosus'' and ''R. occidentalis''. ''Blue raspberry'' can also refer to the whitebark raspberry, '' R. leucodermis''. Fruits from such plants are called golden raspberries or yellow raspberries; despite their similar appearance, they retain the distinctive flavor of their respective species (red or black). Most pale-fruited raspberries commercially sold in the eastern United States are derivatives of red raspberries. Yellow-fruited variants of the black raspberry are sometimes grown in home gardens. Red raspberries have also been crossed with various species in other subgenera of the genus ''Rubus'', resulting in a number of

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s, the first of which was the

loganberry The loganberry (''Rubus'' × ''loganobaccus'') is a hybrid of the North American blackberry (''Rubus ursinus'') and the European raspberry (''Rubus idaeus''). The plant and the fruit resemble the blackberry more than the raspberry, but the frui ...

. Later notable hybrids include the

olallieberry The olallieberry ( ), sometimes spelled ollalieberry, olallaberry, olalliberry, ollalaberry or ollaliberry, is the marketing name for the 'Olallie' blackberry released by the USDA-ARS (in collaboration with Oregon State University). The berry was ...

boysenberry The boysenberry is a cross between the European raspberry (''Rubus idaeus''), European blackberry (''Rubus fruticosus''), American dewberry (''Rubus aboriginum''), and loganberry (''Rubus'' × ''loganobaccus''). It is a large aggregate fruit, ...

marionberry The marionberry (''Rubus L.'' subgenus ''Rubus'') is a cultivar of blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University. A cross between the ' Chehalem' and ' Olallie' varieties,

, and

tayberry The tayberry (''Rubus fruticosus'' x ''R. idaeus'') is a cultivated shrub in the genus ''Rubus'' of the family Rosaceae patented in 1979 as a cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry, and named after the River Tay in Scotland. The frui ...

; all are multi-generational hybrids. Hybridization between the familiar cultivated red raspberries and a few Asiatic species of ''Rubus'' has also been achieved.

Selected cultivars

Numerous raspberry

s have been selected. Two types of raspberry are available for commercial and domestic cultivation; the summer-bearing type produces an abundance of fruit on second-year canes (floricanes) within a relatively short period in midsummer, and double or "everbearing" plants, which also bear some fruit on first-year canes (primocanes) in the late summer and fall, as well as the summer crop on second-year canes. Those marked (AGM) have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

= Red, Early Summer fruiting

= * Boyne * Fertödi Venus * Rubin Bulgarski * Cascade Dawn * Glen Clova * Glen Moy (AGM) * Killarney * Malahat * Malling Exploit * Malling Jewel (AGM) * Titan * Willamette * Prelude

= Red, Mid-summer Fruiting

= * Cuthbert * Glen Ample (AGM) * Lloyd George * Meeker * Newburgh * Ripley * Skeena * Cowichan * Chemainus * Saanich

= Red, Late Summer Fruiting

= * Cascade Delight * Coho * Fertödi Rubina * Glen Magna (AGM) * Leo (AGM) * Malling Admiral (AGM) * Octavia * Schoenemann * Tulameen (AGM)

= Red primocane, Autumn fruiting

= * Amity * Augusta * Autumn Bliss (AGM) * Joan J. (Thornless) * Caroline * Fertödi Kétszertermö * Heritage * Imara * Joan J * Josephine * Kwanza * Kweli * Mapema * Polka (AGM) * Rafiki * Ripley * Summit * Zeva Herbsternte

= Yellow primocane, Autumn fruiting

= * Anne * Fallgold * Fertödi Aranyfürt * Goldenwest * Golden Queen * Honey Queen * Jambo * Kiwi Gold

= Purple

= * Brandywine * Glencoe * Royalty

= Black

= * Black Hawk * Bristol * Cumberland * Jewel * Munger * Ohio Everbearer * Scepter

= Dwarf cultivars

= * = 'Nr7'

Diseases and pests

Raspberries are sometimes eaten by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species (butterflies and moths). More serious are the

raspberry beetle The raspberry beetle (''Byturus tomentosus'') is a species of beetle in the fruitworm family Byturidae. It is a major pest that is widespread in north-central Europe, affecting raspberry, blackberry and loganberry plants. This species is rela ...

(in Europe) and the raspberry fruitworm (in North America), whose larvae can damage raspberries. ''

Botrytis cinerea ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" or ...

'', or gray mold, is a common fungal infection of raspberries and other soft fruit under wet conditions. It is seen as a gray mold growing on the raspberries, and particularly affects fruit which are bruised, as it provides an easy entrance point for the spores. Raspberry plants should not be planted where potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or bulbs have previously been grown, without prior fumigation of the soil. These crops are hosts for the disease ''Verticillium'' wilt, a fungus that can stay in the soil for many years and can infest the raspberry crop.

Production

In 2020, world production of raspberries was 895,771

tonnes The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United States ...

, led by

with 20% of the world total (table). Other major producers were

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Nutrition

Raw raspberries are 86% water, 12%

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ma ...

s, and have about 1% each of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

and

fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers spec ...

(table). In a 100 gram amount, raspberries supply 53

kilocalorie The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of on ...

s and 6.5 grams of

dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...

. Raspberries are a rich source (20% or more of the

Daily Value The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of health ...

, DV) of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

(32% DV),

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

(32% DV) and dietary fiber (26% DV), but otherwise have low content of

micronutrient Micronutrients are nutrient, essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for exam ...

s (table). Raspberries are a low-

glycemic index The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...

food, with total sugar content of only 4% and no

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...

. The

structure contributes to raspberry's nutritional value, as it increases the proportion of

, which is among the highest known in

whole food Natural food and all-natural food are terms in food labeling and marketing with several definitions, often implying foods that are not manufactured by processing. In some countries like the United Kingdom, the term "natural" is defined and regu ...

s, up to 6% fiber per total weight.

Phytochemicals

Raspberries contain

phytochemical Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...

s, such as

anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical compo ...

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

ellagic acid Ellagic acid is a polyphenol found in numerous fruits and vegetables. It is the dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid. Name The name comes from the French term ''acide ellagique'', from the word ''galle'' spelled backwards because it can be ob ...

ellagitannin The ellagitannins are a diverse class of hydrolyzable tannins, a type of polyphenol formed primarily from the oxidative linkage of galloyl groups in 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose. Ellagitannins differ from gallotannins, in that their galloyl group ...

quercetin Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor a ...

gallic acid Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid with the formula C6 H2( OH)3CO2H. It is classified as a phenolic acid. It is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. It i ...

cyanidin Cyanidin is a natural organic compound. It is a particular type of anthocyanidin (glycoside version called anthocyanins). It is a pigment found in many red berries including grapes, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, chokeberry, cranb ...

pelargonidin Pelargonidin is an anthocyanidin, a type of plant pigment producing a characteristic orange color used in food and industrial dyes. Natural occurrences Presence in flowers Pelargonidin can be found in red geraniums (Geraniaceae). It is the p ...

catechins Flavan-3-ols (sometimes referred to as flavanols) are a subgroup of flavonoids. They are derivatives of flavans that possess a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2''H''-chromen-3-ol skeleton. Flavan-3-ols are structurally diverse and include a range of compo ...

kaempferol Kaempferol (3,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonol, a type of flavonoid, found in a variety of plants and plant-derived foods including kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli. Kaempferol is a yellow crystalline solid with a meltin ...

and

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...

. Yellow raspberries and others with pale-colored fruits are lower in anthocyanin content. Both yellow and red raspberries contain carotenoids, mostly lutein esters, but these are masked by anthocyanins in red raspberries. Raspberry compounds are under preliminary research for their potential to affect human health.

Leaves

Raspberry leaves can be used fresh or dried in

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

s, providing an astringent flavor. In

herbal A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...

and

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

, raspberry leaves are used for some remedies, although there is no scientifically valid evidence to support their medicinal use.

Comparison

References

External links

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Raspberries & More
(University of Illinois Extension) {{Authority control Berries Plant common names Rubus de:Rubus sv:Hallon