Huckleberries

Huckleberries, originally uploaded by Marshmallow.

This little berry is ripe with mountain mystique. Loved by bears and sought after by humans, the huckleberry is similar to a blueberry but has more intense flavor and color and higher nutritional value.

Attempts to cultivate them have often ended in failure, making their strong wild flavors even more elusive. Even so, I love using wild huckleberries in my cooking and my Honey/Huckleberry BBQ sauce is one of my favorite recipes. I choose not to skimp on the berries used in my sauce, so it yields a strong berry flavor. Geared for use with wild game, it is also delicious on pork as a finishing sauce.