Does Medronho fruit get you drunk?
Eating Medronhos doesn't get you drunk , drinking brandy does! The Medronho fruit on the tree does not have alcohol, so eating the Medronho fruit will not make you drunk.
A big myth surrounding Medronho is that it can make eating the fresh fruit alcoholic.
Explanation: Like any other fruit with sugar, after fermenting, the sugars are transformed into ethanol (alcohol). However, when harvested from the tree and for fresh consumption this process has not yet started and as such, without alcohol, no one gets "drunk".
These fruits are Lychees!
You are not the only one, some confusion arises with the medronho and litchi fruit. The medronho is not liticha, they are different fruits.
Litchi or lychee belongs to the Sapindaceae family and its scientific name is Litchi chinensis.
Despite being also a fruit, the similarities with Medronho stop here... 3 easy ways to see the difference:
1) The lychee has a hard skin, the arbutus is soft
2) The lychee has seeds, the medronho has very small seeds
3) The lychee has shades of white inside, with orange and yellow arbutus
Where does the name Medronho come from?
The scientific name “ Arbutus unedo ” combines the name of the genus “ Arbutus ”, for shrub or small tree, and the specific restrictive “ unedo ”, derived from the Latin “ unus ” - one and “ edo ” - to eat, which come together in the expression “unum tantum edo” or “ eat only one ”, attributed to the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder.
The name is due to the supposed alcoholic effect that excessive consumption of very ripe fruits can cause. Although this effect has not been scientifically proven, arbutus should be consumed in moderation, like any other fruit.
Is Medronho only Portuguese?
No! And Spain, Italy and Greece have a historical connection with the Medronheiro, just like Portugal. These, in addition to their traditional alcoholic drinks, have other curiosities:
In Italy , the strawberry tree is the national tree because it simultaneously presents the three colors of its flag: red fruits, white flowers and green leaves.
In Spain , the symbol of the city of Madrid shows a bear and a strawberry tree. It is said that both species were present around the city and that the symbol is associated with a land dispute, in the 13th century, between the administration and representatives of the clergy, which was resolved with the separation and allocation of pastures to the clergy and from the wooded territory to the city.
In Madrid, at the Prado Museum , the work “The Garden of Earthly Delights” is on display, a triptych by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, where the strawberry tree symbolizes the fleeting nature of pleasure, which was known in the Spanish court as “La pinta del madroño ”.
What is the correct name: Ervedeiro, Morangueiro or is it Medronheiro?
Despite being known by multiple names in Portugal , Medronheiro is the most common !
The various names that this tree has are : ervedeiro, strawberry tree, ervedo, êrvodo, ervodo, herbado, meródio and arbutus tree .
In English , the common name for strawberry tree is strawberry tree (the red, round fruits are reminiscent of strawberries), while in Spanish it is madroño and in French arbouisier.
Why does Aguardente Medronho have a different price than other spirits and even other distillates? What is the price of medronho brandy? How much does a liter of medronho cost?
The higher price of Medronho brandy compared to other brandies, gins or vodkas is related to 3 important factors that mean that Medronho Brandy has higher production costs .
1) use of 100% ripe Medronho fruit , unlike other drinks that use fruit by-products or fruit remains that were harvested for other uses. Different from other drinks made from cereals or potatoes, for example.
2) Manual harvesting of the fruit and labor associated with this process. The non-mechanization of this activity and the careful choice of the final product with several passes through the same tree in order to harvest the fruit at the correct stage of maturation.
3) Slow and traditional distillation. To guarantee the aromas and quality of the distillate there is a distillation process, lasting around 6 to 8 hours , manually controlled to produce just 15 to 20 liters of Medronho Brandy.
How much does 1 strawberry tree fruit weigh?
There is a great variety in the size of the fruit; when ripe and ready for harvesting, it can range from 0.5 to 3 cm in diameter and weigh from 2 to 15 grams.
Depending on the use, size may or may not be important. For distillation or culinary uses, which are the most common, the most important thing is always the sugar content of the fruit and its flavor!
How many kilograms of arbutus berries are needed to make one liter of brandy?
A common question among people who work with this fruit to produce the famous distillate. Although there is no exact answer, the values are between 6 and 10 kg of fruit for 1 liter of Medronho brandy .
This value depends on 4 important factors:
1) Fruit ripening stage (the riper the fruit, the more sugar it will have and the greater its potential to produce ethanol/alcohol)
2) Terroir , the region from which the fruit originates ( Lower Alentejo and Algarve have higher sugar levels and more flavor).
3) The desired alcohol content in the final distillate.
4) The quality of the distillation equipment affects its effectiveness.
How many degrees does Medronho have?
Traditional Medronho from the lower Alentejo region has between 48% and 52% alcohol by volume.
The alcohol content of Medronho brandy is usually measured using two scales: the Cartier scale and the Gay-Lussac scale. The most common in Portugal is the Gay-Lussac scale, where the relationship is direct: a mark of 50 degrees Gay - Lussac means that there is 50% alcohol in the drink.
Legally in Portugal, to be designated "Medronho" it must have a minimum alcohol content of 42% Vol .
What does Medronho taste like?
What does arbutus berry taste like? This is a common question because many people don't have access to the fresh product.
The strawberry tree fruit has a characteristic and unique flavor, generally described as bittersweet, slightly acidic, and astringent . It has a combination of sweetness and acidity, with an astringent touch that can vary depending on the fruit's level of ripeness.
Some people compare the taste of arbutus berries to a mixture of apple, fig, and raspberry , but with a more pronounced astringent note.
What is the best Medronho brandy?
It's no surprise that all distillers consider their cachaça to be the best . When tasting a medronho-flavored cachaça, you should evaluate the following factors :
Appearance : clear
Color : colorless; topaz (except if aged. If so, its color and tone will depend on the woods it was aged in and the time it spent aging).
Aroma : ethereal and reminiscent of strawberry tree fruit.
Flavor : strawberry tree fruit, acidity, and alcoholic.
Be suspicious of the quality of the brandy if you smell glue, thinner, varnish, freshly cut grass, if it scratches your throat, or if it has a bluish color.
Then decide for yourself which one is best!
What are the health benefits of strawberry tree fruit?
Among the health benefits of the strawberry tree fruit, its antioxidant activity stands out, being "superior to that of fruits from other origins," according to the University of Aveiro : "Antioxidant activity reflects the ability to prevent the formation of free radicals, substances that, when produced in excess in the body, are responsible for oxidative stress, known to cause damage to the human body, which is associated with aging and increased susceptibility to various diseases, including emerging civilizational diseases."
The same research project identified the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6, which play a role in controlling cholesterol levels and in skin and bone health. The presence of beta-carotene (another natural antioxidant), and vitamins E and C had been previously documented. Furthermore, the presence of sugars in the composition of the arbutus fruit is high, so its energy value is relatively high, increasing with ripening.
Does the strawberry tree resist fires?
Yes. The strawberry tree is one of the native Portuguese species with the greatest capacity for regeneration after a fire.
The plant bursts open at the base and sprouts new shoots with considerable force, even when all the above-ground parts are destroyed by fire.
This characteristic makes the strawberry tree very interesting in at-risk areas, helping in soil recovery and landscape stability after a fire.
Can the fruit of the strawberry tree be eaten raw?
Yes. The arbutus berry is edible raw and has a sweet, mild, and slightly fermented flavor when very ripe.
It is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants and phenolic compounds, and is consumed fresh, in jams, desserts or transformed into brandy.
You should just avoid eating very green fruits, because they are harder and more acidic.
Why does the strawberry tree have flowers and fruit at the same time?
Because the strawberry tree has a very particular reproductive cycle.
While the previous year's fruits are ripening (autumn/winter), the plant is simultaneously forming the flowers that will give rise to the following year's fruits.
This phenomenon creates the curious image of having white flowers and red fruits at the same time — something quite typical of the strawberry tree and visible in Portugal between October and January.
How many years does a strawberry tree live?
The strawberry tree is a very long-lived tree.
In natural conditions, it can live for 50 to 100 years , and in well-managed orchards it maintains production for several decades.
The robustness, post-fire regeneration, and drought resistance of the strawberry tree contribute to making it one of the most enduring Mediterranean species.
Is the strawberry tree good for bees?
Yes. The strawberry tree is an important honey-producing plant.
The flowers appear in autumn and early winter, a period when there are few sources of nectar available for bees.
The famous strawberry tree honey , a dark, bitter honey highly valued for its mineral and antioxidant richness, is produced from the nectar of the strawberry tree.
Want to know more about arbutus and arbutus trees?
If you want to know about the plants, the tree, the fruit, the brandy or other curiosities, do not hesitate to contact us at the link below or claramedronho@gmail.com