Scientific name: Empetrum nigrum subsp hermaphroditum
Aside from food and medicinal uses, Inuit also used the branches of this shrub to make
mattresses in igloos, and to clean the barrels of guns.
Traditional Use
The winter supply of berries could be buried in a hole in the sand lined with fat and
covered with sealskin, which kept them very fresh. The berries were traditionally used
differently across their growing range. In British Columbia, the berries were eaten
both fresh and dried. Inuit would eat the berries fresh as well, but they also stored
them in fat. They would brew the leaves and small branches into tea. Medicinally, they
were recommended for people who had diarrhea.
source
Blackberries, wild, raw (Alaska Native) [Crowberries] per 100 grams
Glycemic load:3 /100
The good: This food is very low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Riboflavin, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Pantothenic Acid, Copper and Manganese.
Total Carbohydrate 9.8 g
Vitamin A 46.0 IU
Vitamin C 4.7 mg
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)0.9 mg
Vitamin K 5.9 mcg
Thiamin 0.1 mg
Riboflavin 0.1 mg
Niacin 0.3 mg
Vitamin B6 0.0 mg
Folate 11.0 mcg
source
Photo: "Aqpiks picking South of Arviat" 15 August 2018.
Crowberry leaves and a caribou's spine.