Mora di Rovo

In summer, it is common to see Italians making their way through thorny brambles to collect wild blackberries. Agricultural progress means that it is now possible to buy cultivated blackberries, grown on thornless bushes for easy picking. Although it is less flavoursome than the wild variety, the cultivated blackberry is still good in fruit salads and as a topping for fruit tarts, as well as making delicious jams, compotes, juices and syrups for use in the liqueur, pâtisserie and confectionery industries. It is a very perishable soft fruit and should be eaten as soon as it is picked.