Ribes nigrum

Ribes nigrum, “Blackcurrant” in English and “Cassissier” or “Cassis” in French, belongs to the Grossulariaceae botanical family.

It is a shrub that can reach a height of 1,50 m.

Native from central to eastern Europe and northern Asia, it grows in most temperate regions in hedges and woodlands, often by streams.

Blackcurrant fruit has many culinary uses and is the basis for several beverages

As a drug, the leaves are used in folk medicine as a diuretic, and also for arthritis, rheumatisms, diarrhea and spasmodic cough.

Its main constituents are flavonoids, especially derivatives of kaempferol and quercetin; myricetin and isorhamnetin glycosides ; myrtillin and delphinidin-3-rutinoside as pigments in the berry.

  • English name Black currant
  • French name Cassisier
Ribes nigrum