Seabuckthorn Berries. (locally known as ‘Drilbu‘ and ‘Chharma’ in Himachal). Our host Mr.Tandup at Pin Valley insisted on having this tea as soon as we entered his home stay. With reluctance I tasted a sip of it and I was totally an addict from the first sip. It was soothing for the tired limbs after our long journey to get to Pin Valley. Mr. Tandup swears by it for his good health.

So here is a little information about this magic berry. This shrub which was right next to our place of stay was like any thorny bush on the road side. The berries were almost gone except a small bunch. This shrub seems to be remaining intact inspite of the sub zero temperatures.

The shrub is a source of food for the birds, while the animals eat the protein rich leaves despite the thorns. We humans process the berries by crushing them and boiling the juice to remove the top silth. This concentrate is then stored in to bottles and used for making this. Do you know who is eyeing this to make it a commercial product ? Pathanjali.

Ready to harvest Seabuckthorn berries along the roadside.