The turkey berry is known by many names. It is also known as Solanum torvum, devil’s fig, pea eggplant, plate brush or susumber. It is a type of spiny perennial plant that is erect and bushy and it is used as a rootstock for eggplant. The grafted version of the plant is very strong and can withstand many diseases to go into its second year of life.
The Habitat Of The Turkey Berry
It seems apparently the turkey berry is a native of Florida and Southern Alabama right till West Indies, Mexico through Central America and South America and Brazil. The plant spreads very rapidly like a weed so it becomes very difficult to discern where the originality of the plant can be pinned on.
But for sure the turkey berry has been introduced to tropical Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands that include Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. It is also seen in Jamaica.
It’s Relation With The Ecology
The turkey berry is so versatile a plant that it can grow in any climatic condition that it is planted in. It can even grow in upland terrain where there is rainfall that ranges from 1000 to 4000 mm annually. It can also grow in regions that are inundated with water all through the year.
It grows very well in moist conditions where the soil is fertile right to the regions near the coast to almost 1000m at sea level. It grows so quickly like that of a weed that at any given moment the plant will overshadow any other plant growing in the vicinity.
But the plant grows best in regions that are moist coupled with good sunlight. It does not thrive well in regions that do not receive good sunlight at all. In fact, it grows best in that part of the day when there is maximum sunlight. So it can be inferred that turkey berries cannot grow forest canopies that are closed.
But it can be seen on roadsides, vacant premises, pastures that are overgrown with wild bushes and plants, farmlands that have very recently been abandoned and vacated, on sites of landslides and river banks.
The Benefits Of Turkey Berry
This berry primarily gets its name from the fact that it is eaten by turkeys. It is a staple in South Indian dishes, used variously as dried or in curries. It is often underrated, but it is packed with an extensive array of health benefits. It is mainly eaten as Turkey Berry Vathal in South India.
It helps people with low haemoglobin count and keeps anaemia at bay. It is also good on the digestive system helping check diarrhoea, stomach pains from indigestion, acidity and other stomach irregularities.
The bitterness of the berries makes it very good in its fight against diabetes as it can keep blood sugar levels lower. It aids in keeping cardiovascular diseases and kidney functions in control.
Ways In Which Turkey Berry Is Eaten
Turkey berries can be cooked in a number of ways in every cuisine of every culture. But in South India, it is mostly eaten as a curry that is known as Turkey Berry Vathal. It is cooked in a combination of other Indian spices and herbs like curry leaves. These things give the already beneficial turkey berries another boost in their goodness.
