The Country That Produces The Most Raspberries

Some plants are delicate and can only be grown under very specific conditions, but raspberries are pretty hardy and can tolerate a variety of climates. For that reason, they're found all over the world, even in colder zones that aren't usually associated with fruit production. In fact, the number one producer is Russia, a country that grows more than 20% of the world's raspberries.

In 2022, Russia produced some 212,300 metric tons of raspberries, which is more than 468 million pounds. So how does a cold-weather country grow more raspberries than anywhere else on earth? Well, for one thing, some raspberry plants can survive winter temperatures of up to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. For another, ever since the 1970s, the Russian agriculture industry has been working to develop commercial cultivars that are best suited to the country's climate and growing season. Among the ones they've come up with are varieties known as atlant, Eurasia, medvezhonok, penguin, poklon kazakovu, and zhar-ptitsa.

Interestingly enough, however, the number two raspberry producer is Mexico, a country whose temperatures don't tend to get lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit in winter (except in mountainous regions) and can hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter in summertime. Mexican raspberry farmers, therefore, use raspberry varieties that are better adapted for high heat than the ones grown in Russia.

A certain amount of Russia's raspberries are exported each year to countries in the region (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, etc.), to Europe, and to the United States. About 99% of Russian-grown raspberries, however, are intended for the domestic market, as they are a very popular fruit.

Raspberries grow wild in forests there, and foraging for them is a popular practice. Many people take advantage of this opportunity, and one popular way to preserve the berries is to make them into jam. Raspberries, wild or store-bought, can also go into the stewed juice drink called kompot or a fermented beverage called kvass. The latter is a slightly alcoholic drink usually made from fermented rye bread, though you can turn sourdough starter into kvass, too. Darra Goldstein's cookbook "Beyond the North Wind" includes a recipe for kvass made from raspberries, honey, and yeast.

A number of Russian dessert recipes also call for raspberries. Roulade cake consists of sponge cake rolled around a raspberry cream filling, while malinoviy kisel is a thickened raspberry puree. Yet another well-known treat is zefir, a type of homemade marshmallow or meringue cookie flavored with raspberries. Russian Americans, too, have added to the raspberry repertoire with a dessert featuring a crushed pretzel crust, whipped topping, raspberry gelatin, and raspberries — which appears to be a sibling of the not-legally-a-salad strawberry-pretzel salad.