Mongolia’s climate isn’t conducive to growing a lot of fruit, but the berries grown in Mongolia pack a pretty big punch. Elderberries, sea buckthorn, and currants (red and black) grow well here. They’ve been cultivated for a long time but also grow wild. Industrialized and informal industries have been built around them.

You can find sea buckthorn candy, juice, concentrate, oil, extract, jam, and even wine in Mongolian grocery stores. In the Fall, you can buy fresh berries from vendors in markets and on sidewalks. When I found out how expensive sea buckthorn was in U.S. health food stores, I started bringing packets of concentrate to the U.S. as gifts for people who liked the peculiar flavor and health benefits.

Sea buckthorn is high in antioxidants, vitamins that support immune health, and beneficial minerals. It’s an acquired taste. For me, there’s a hint of “bile” in the smell of it. I struggle to finish a cup of hot sea buckthorn juice without adding a lot of extra sugar or honey, which probably negates the health benefits of drinking it. I like its citrusy tang, but that aftertaste isn’t my favorite.
Many Mongolians have sea buckthorn bushes in their yards. Some people have small orchards. The bushes can grow to be tree-sized, and even when neglected, they produce a ton of berries. Our neighbors have three sea buckthorn “trees” with large branches that hang over our wall. In the Fall, family members (usually the mom and the kids) sit on top of our shared wall and try to harvest as many berries as they can. Their trees are heavy producers. I’m sure they keep their extended family stocked up on sea buckthorn every year. The berries they leave on the overhanging branches certainly keep my family stocked up.