Mulberries come in three main species (in fact, there are over 60): morus alba, morus nigra and morus rubra – white mulberry, black mulberry and red mulberry respectively. Let me be clear! These are species’ names and do not necessarily reflect the colour of the fruit. Some white mulberries are black, for example.
Mulberries
Mulberries are important in China’s economy, being the silkworms favourite food. They prefer the morus alba, the least flavoursome of the varieties. And they only eat the leaves! Silly buggers.
It will surprise you not at all, but here in China both black and red varieties are a popular table fruit, but are also made into wine. Both commercially but also my a farmers needing to deal with a glut of fresh f ruit.
As with yangmei above, there are two beverages called ‘mulberry wine’. One is a true wine; the other is strong white spirits in which the fruit has been steeped. Alternatively, the fruit is used to flavour plain rice wine, taking about three weeks to develop colour and flavour.
Mulberry Wine
Mulberry wine is low in alcohol (12% or less by vol) and sweet. Too sweet for my taste, but it is marketed as a 'ladies 'wine', whatever that means.
