Lampone

The fruit of a bushy plant that grows in the hills of Italy at an altitude of up to 1,500 metres (4,500 feet), the raspberry needs a cool climate to grow well. Like strawberries, they are perishable and delicate, and should be handled as little as possible. They are made up of a collection of tiny pods, each of which contains a seed. The berry is attached to a conical white stem from which it can only be pulled cleanly when the fruit is quite ripe.

The flavour of the raspberry is so intense that it is mostly used to make syrups and jellies for the confectionery industry, but they are also delicious raw on tarts, on meringues, in fruit salad or, best of all, on their own. If cooked with sugar they make a wonderful sauce for ice-cream or creamy desserts, as well as making wonderful sorbets themselves. Agricultural and technological advancements have made commercial cultivation of this fruit easier and much of the new abundant crop is frozen to make sauces, syrups and gelatines.