Velvet raisin

What it is

Velvet raisin, Grewia flava, also goes by brandybush. A fruit is about 0.8 cm (⅓ in) across, with pulp around a large seed. Its ripe colour is reddish brown. On the bush, grey-green leaves have a fine covering of hairs and a paler underside.

Where it comes from

Its home is southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa. It grows in dry woodland, often on the sandy ground of the Kalahari, where the bushes can form dense stands. The fruit dries easily into sweet little “raisins”, a popular food among rural people, especially the Basarwa.

How it's eaten where it grows

In the Kalahari, people mash the fruit and soak it in water to make a porridge. Fresh berries are eaten as they are; dried ones are kept for later.

Botswana’s khadi uses ripe fruit dried in the sun, with brown sugar added for fermentation. Brewers carry some fermented fruit from one batch into the next to get it started. It is a household drink and a source of income for local brewers in places including Tonota, Serowe and Maun.

How it's grown

Velvet raisin grows as a dense bush with several stems, usually up to 2 m (6½ ft) tall, sometimes becoming a taller small tree. Its yellow flowers look like little stars. Rain sets the pace: late rain delays flowering, and fruit takes about two months to ripen after the flowers. If the rains fail after some early rain, developing fruit can shrivel on the branches. The plant can also be raised from cuttings.

When and where you'll find it

In the Kalahari, gathering usually runs from February through August. Fresh fruit is eaten locally, while drying keeps part of the crop for winter. Informal markets in the region sell the fruit, including air-dried “raisins”. Drying is also the step between the ripe berries and the fruit used by Botswana’s khadi brewers.