Goldenberry: The new superfood?

You're eating your acai berries, right? What about your goji berries? Okay, then, try this one – are you eating your goldenberries? Maybe not.

Physalis peruviana aka the Peruvian groundcherry aka the cape gooseberry aka the Inca berry aka the Goldenberry (and breathe) originates from Peru, but has been cultivated in the UK since the 18th century. Even with its long history in Britain, it is still relatively unknown, at least not by that name – it is sometimes sold simply as physalis, though maybe not for much longer.

Waitrose has given the sour berry its backing, naming goldenberries as one of 2016's upcoming foodie trends "predicted to change the way we cook, eat and drink in the coming year." The supermarket chain described the berry as: "Great in baking, packed with skin-healthy vitamin A, metabolism-boosting vitamin B, fibre and iron, they make a great snack or addition to your morning granola."

According to the nutritional information for Terrafertil's dried goldenberries, 100g contains 71% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin A– important for the immune system and for good vision – and 60% of potassium, linked to decreasing the likelihood of strokes and important for a number of systems in the body.

They also proclaim the berries' levels of iron – 19% of your recommended daily allowance in 100g. For those on restrictive diets, iron can be a harder nutrient to keep on top of – the best absorbed is heme-iron from meat, meaning vegetarians and vegans are at risk of issues from deficiency if they don't have good enough iron sources.

You might have even noticed goldenberries on Great British Bake Off in 2015 – the sure sign of a trend about to launch – when Tamal added them to his biscotti, leading to a 180% surge in goldenberry sales in Waitrose that week.

They might be a little bitter for your taste, or you could prefer them to their sweeter cousins, what we can say is goldenberries have made a mark on British baking and are slowly shining their way towards our homes.