Food Alphabet
Altai Honeysuckle
Altai honeysuckle is a fruit shrub of the honeysuckle family. It grows in Siberia, the Far East, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. It is found in wild and cultivated species.
The bark of the shrub can be colored reddish or gray-brown, depending on the age of the branches. The leaves on the branches are oblong-elliptical, with a blunt or pointed tip.
In mid-May, pale yellow flowers, shaped like bells, appear on the fruit-bearing branches.
Beginning in the second half of July, the berries ripen on the honeysuckle. The berries of the Altai honeysuckle are oval or ovate. In color, they are dark blue or bluish, sometimes covered with a waxy coating on top, and in taste-bittersweet, similar to blueberries. In cooking, they are used most often for making jam, juice, jam or jelly. In Mongolia, they are also candied, and then added to tea.
