Day 172: Lingonberry

When I bring home souvenirs, I usually bring home food. Which means that my main souvenir from Disney World came from the little shop outside "Norway" in the Epcot World Showcase, though it's actually Swedish in origin: lingonberry preserves.

I did bring this stuff home with the intention of having it as a thing-I've-never-had-before, but I didn't think I'd be having it so soon. I've been cleaning out my pantry, freezer, and fridge, and I'd planned to finally eat an old Lean Cuisine with salmon pasta for lunch, but butterfingers that I am, I dropped it on the kitchen floor and, incidentally, my foot. Thankfully, I was not burned. Also thankfully, I got to try my preserves, which otherwise might have sat on the shelf for quite a while, which would have been tragic because they are delicious.

I can only describe lingonberry preserves as mild, but that doesn't mean they were flavorless. Sweet, a little tangy. Just perfect, really. I often feel assaulted by the sweetness or sourness or seedy texture of preserves, but the lingonberry did not offend on any account. I had them on plain white bread with a little butter underneath.

Apparently, lingonberries are also called "cowberries," which I find slightly less appetizing and far less exotic. They're also known as mountain cranberries, though they really don't seem to have any of the extreme flavor I associate with cranberries, though what I picked up from Wikipedia is that they are quite tart, thus the reason for making them into jam instead of just eating them raw. They've got good Vitamin C, A, and B, and their seeds even contain Omega-3 fatty acids. So, wow! My lunch-in-a-pinch turned out to be great tasting and great for me.