Pie taste test: wild trailing blackberries vs Himalaya blackberries

[Okanagan]

Yesterday my granddaughter and I performed a blackberry pie test.  We made two pies to deliberately compare the tastes:  One pie from wild trailing blackberries and one from wild growing Himalayan blackberries.

We fresh picked Himalaya blackberries from a carefully selected patch free from road dust etc.  They were very good tasting right off of the bush.  Himalayas are the invasive species of blackberry from Asia that has taken over the PNW.  My son calls them “railroad berries” because they are often abundant on railroad rights of way.

We made the other pie from native wild “trailing blackberries” indigenous to the Northwest.  These were picked last month and frozen.  We used identical ratios of sugar, cinnamon etc.

The wild trailing blackberry pie won by a HUGE margin.  I knew that I liked the wild ones better but WOW, they are WAAAAY better.  The result surprised me by how strong opinions were, not by what people preferred.  We had four first round tasters, two women and two men, ranging in age from age 15 to 71.  Someone said that if we only had the Himalaya pie, we'd think that it was good.  Also, the Himalayas have so many large seeds that it detracted from the eating pleasure for some tasters, not a problem for some tasters but annoying to others.

This post presented as a public service purely for the research value.

[JKEEN33]

My fovorite pie is the wild blackberry. Sister makes pies with the Himalayan and agree, just not the same. On the positive side, it is pie and I do like pie.

[JKEEN33]

Also willing to offer my tasting services for the next session.

[quadrafire]

Novice here. How can you tell the difference?
I picked a bunch off the road at lower granite dam last week. Big and juicy but no idea of specie??

[quadrafire]

Rough sport with the daggers waiting for  any inch of skin and clothing!!

[JKEEN33]

Natives are the small ones that are usually on the ground or on old stumps. They have small seeds and make the best pies. Tough to find them in any quantity any more.

[hunthard]

One has the round leaves and the other one has the leaves that look like a pot plant, but which is which? I personally think the ones with the pot plant looking leaves taste better, my late father in law called them black caps.

[Skyvalhunter]

Its not even a contest Wild all the way

[Curly]

Marionberry is even better......

[PolarBear]

Cascades are the little trailing berries that are ripe on July. Himalayas have rounded leaves, have larger canes and mature from August through September.  Evergreen is the nasty one wirh jagged (pot like) leaves and have very little taste. I love the cascades but they can be tought to find. We use them for special recipes. We have been picking Himalayas this week for jam and pies. Picked 20 gallons so far and am walking out the door now to pick another 5-10. The kids love them frozen as a quick treat on a hot day.