Summer Blues

If there was ever a time during which I was not beholden to an almost fanatical love of blueberries, that time lies outside the reaches of my memory. As a child, this phenomenal adoration was a thing of pure instinct — good taste equals good — and, funnily enough, my son seems to have inherited it. Little do we know, in our youth, of the history, the majesty and the power of the blueberry. But the more I learn, the more it all makes sense. From my humbled, primitive and singular point of view within the vastness of the universe, these minuscule, innocuous fruits are the ultimate food, Summer or no.

The genus Vaccinium includes such edible plants as the cranberry, bilberry, lingonberry and huckleberry — all berry respectable, to be sure, but none may approach the esteemed supremacy of the blueberry, save to prostrate themselves in awe-struck reverence. If, so far, this all sounds hyperbolic to you, I implore you to keep digging. The roots of this little bush run deep.

There is an almost constant debate as to exactly when and how the early human ancestors of the Native American tribes first found their way to the continent that would become their home. However, most participants of said debate can agree that migrations to the Americas were taking place at least 12,600 years ago, with evidence to suggest that the first humans to make the journey came multiple thousands of years earlier. In any case, as our ancient cousins explored the newfound continent and the frozen world around them began to thaw, life in all of its forms, both plant and animal, changed dramatically.

It is a widely held belief that the wild blueberry was among the first edible plant species discovered by humans on the North American landmass. Variations of the blueberry bush would have been found all along both the East and West coastlines of the continent, and thus, the potency of their fruit would become the stuff of widespread legend for millennia to come.

Fortunately, for the sake of our modern edification, 17th century Englishman John Josselyn closely observed, among other things, the relationship between indigenous folk and blueberries during his time on the northern New England coast. In the northeastern colonies, blueberries were quite the precious commodity.

The most obvious use of any fruit is, of course, raw consumption. In the American northeast, this was only possible during the Summer, and in addition to their natural deliciousness, raw blueberries were eaten to 'cool the heat of fevers and quench thirst.' You would be tragically remiss, however, to assume that the Curriculum Vitae of the blueberry ended there, even in the 1,600's.

Syrups and salves could be made in order to preserve for extended periods — and even enhance— the fever-quelling capabilities of blueberries, according to Josselyn's accounts. The acting-historian also noted that Native folks would dehydrate blueberries in large numbers. Once dried, the fruit would remain edible for much longer a time and were used as a component of various composite foods. Of these foods, there are two which are particularly noteworthy.

Sautauthig, a rather modest dish of dried blueberries, water and dried, cracked corn was introduced to colonists by Native folk, likely as early on as the first Thanksgiving. Settlers would later expand upon this mixture by adding milk, sugar and butter in typical English fashion.

Pemmican — a Cree word for rendered fat — is a sun-baked cake consisting of dried blueberries, pulverized meat and melted fat which remains edible for months. Essentially, these were, in all likelihood, the world's first protein-packed powerbars, and they would have kept many a Native American journeyman nourished during long travels.

So numerous and potent were the boons of the blueberry that the northeastern tribes believed that the fruit must have been a gift from the heavens. This, and the perfect five-pointed star formed by the blossom of every wild blueberry, led the Natives to call them 'star berries.'

Religious approbation or not, the earthly properties of the blueberry bush were enough to justify long studies of trial and error, in search of every possible use of the plant and any means of controlling its rate of growth. Long before the commercial planting and harvesting of blueberries, Native Americans on the New England coast were utilizing controlled burns — a process, still used in modern agriculture, by which fields are sequentially burned in order to purify and fertilize their soil — to increase the yield of naturally-occurring blueberry barrens.

For centuries after John Josselyn's observations in 17th century New England, botanists and horticulturalists believed that the blueberry could not be fully domesticated. Harvests were limited, for the most part, by the natural range and rate of growth of wild blueberry bushes, and so the little miracle fruit had virtually no presence in the global market.

The human race may collectively express our unending gratitude to USDA botanist Frank Coville and New Jersey cranberry farmer Elizabeth White for the modern incarnation of the domestic blueberry and our ability to cultivate them consistently. It was Coville who discovered that blueberry bushes were ericaceous plants — plants which require highly acidic soil in order to grow — and White who, in the year 1912, volunteered a portion of her family's land upon which Coville's experiments could be conducted. The large-scale farming of blueberries promptly commenced, but examinations of their properties did not end.

At long last, in the late 1990's, blueberries were officially dubbed a "superfood," following a series of studies dedicated to descrying the true depths of their seemingly limitless nutriment. As it turns out, the benefits of blueberries include improving the health of the heart, skin, bones, blood and brain. Making blueberries a staple of your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, can slow down the natural cognitive decline which accompanies aging and even improve your short-term memory.

The bulk of the knowledge outlined above is relatively new to me, and has only served to solidify the position of the blueberry as my very favorite food. Had I learned in my recent research that blueberries were, in fact, terrible for human health, it likely wouldn't have done much to change how I feel. These little blue guys are a part of me, and it's about time we got down to precisely why that is.

Last year, shortly after the end of the Summer, I was married. As a part of the proceedings, my beautiful wife, Angel, and I had decided to include a tea ceremony. In the months leading up to our wedding, we explored the science, lore and flavor of myriad teas from around the world, independently of one another. Our task, each of us, was to find the tea which we felt was most deeply and accurately representative of what our spouse-to-be meant to us.

Now, Angel already knew that blueberries were my favorite food, and so she looked into them and the many teas which make use of them. As she learned about all of the things that my favorite little fruits could do for a person, she formed her contribution to our tea ceremony, in part, around comparing me to a blueberry. This may sound a tad silly on the surface but, as you may have gathered, I have a deep-seated appreciation for the blueberry. In my eyes, these fruits are purely good, and when my wife drew that comparison, I was touched.

I hope sincerely that you, dear reader, understand first-hand how impactful it can be to hear somebody close to your heart explain to you so eloquently and honestly how much you mean to them. That moment, saturated as it was with poignancy, gravity and love, is secured, locked and dead-bolted into my memory for as long as I shall live. It goes without saying that my love of blueberries was then increased by many orders of magnitude.

We knew already at the time of our marriage that our son, who was then not even a year old, was also beguiled by blueberries. Several months prior, when the time had come for us to introduce solid foods into his diet, he rejected many of them, and was allergic to many more. There was a period of time during which we were concerned that he might need medical assistance in order to get all of the nutrients that a growing body needs. But once he really tasted a blueberry, his mind was opened to the idea that having to chew a food didn't inherently make that food inedible. He was genuinely happy to eat them, and he began, tentatively, to try other foods. A tremendous weight lifted from our chests. The relief and the joy were intoxicating and our household became an even happier place.

As of the public sharing of this story, the boy is now eighteen months old. He's walking, talking, sharing his feelings and actively forming his personality. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. My family is why I'm still alive and blueberries, more than any other food, have somehow played an instrumental role in the formation and solidification of our family unit.

In the past week I have, for the first time, had the opportunity to sit and share blueberries with my son as we watch the Summer sun set over the Chesapeake Bay. I have never felt so full, in heart or in belly.