The haskap berry, also known as the honeyberry, is an edible blue honeysuckle, native to northern hemisphere countries including Canada, Japan and Russia, with the botanical name Lonicera caerulea.

Haskap berries grow on deciduous leafy bushes which have an amazing ability to survive hostile, freezing northern winters.

This photo was taken at our own haskap berry farm in Nova Scotia, where we have over 80 acres of frost-loving haskap bushes.

Haskaps are oval-rectangular in shape, often compared to blueberries. However, the humble haskap knocks blueberries out of the park. Learn more at Fact #4.

Each haskap berry contains twin berries inside it, with an outer purple-blue skin and deep crimson flesh (unlike the blueberry's green flesh).

With triple the antioxidants and four times the anthocyanins* of blueberries (plus high levels of vitamin C), the haskap berry stands head and shoulders above the blueberry in both flavour and nutritional content.

*Anthocyanins are the red-blue pigments in berries and other fruit & veg.

Haskap berries are deliciously different, with a unique flavour profile described as a blend of tangy and sweet. At Haskapa, we freeze-dry the berries to capture that flavour (and nutritional content) which is easier to store and use. Unlike fresh berries, freeze-dried berries don't perish in a short time, which saves on food wastage.

Haskaps contain high levels of bioactive compounds including anthocyanins and other phytochemicals which are associated with health-promoting benefits. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant pigments that give fruit and vegetables their deep purple, blue and red colours.

Haskap berries have a unique anthocyanin profile, with one specific anthocyanin called cyanidin-3-glucoside, known as C3G, making up around 85% of the total anthocyanin content.

The haskap has emerged in recent years as a 'new' superberry. Of course, it's been around a lot longer for that. Haskaps have been treasured for centuries in Hokkaido and other parts of Japan and the Far East. The berries were enjoyed as a wild crop and were also used in traditional medicine.

The haskap was named by the indigenous Ainu people of northern Japan, as the haskap (has-ka-o-p) meaning ‘many fruits on branches.’ The news about this incredible superberry spread as other Japanese settled in Hokkaido. They learned about the nutritional benefits of haskap from the Ainu people and went on to cultivate wild haskap berries, refining the taste and incorporating them into their diet.

The Ainu embraced the haskap as the ‘berry of long life and good eyesight’.

Haskap berries are high in antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties and are thought to modulate vascular function by increasing a chemical called nitric oxide, which can lead to dilation of blood vessels, increased oxygen and nutrient delivery.

In Spring 2022, Professor Glyn Howatson and a team at the UK's Northumbria University released the results of a groundbreaking sports research study.

The study showed that after consuming Haskapa Berry Powder for only one week there were improvements in running speed and exercise endurance.

You can learn more about the research here.

Haskapa Superberry Powder is tasty, easy-to-blend and you need just one teaspoon a day. Use as you would other fruit or berry powders - simply add to smoothies, shakes, stir into breakfast cereal, porridge or yoghurt.

Haskapa is also brilliant in baking and desserts - adding natural colour and a uniquely delicious taste and a healthy boost.