Recipes referenced:
[Jelly]
https://delishkitchen.tv/recipes/2988...
[Roll Cake]
https://mi-journey.jp/foodie/100828/

My father's fishing friend sent me a message saying, "There are berries growing at the fishing spot, and they're sweet," and I was surprised when I saw the photo.
They looked like ripe, jet-black raspberries, and I wondered if there was such a thing among the native Japanese raspberry species. After researching, it seems that there is indeed something called black raspberry.
It's said to grow wild in mountainous areas with abundant nature.

However, when I actually visited the area, they were growing everywhere—in small vacant lots by the sea and even in cracks in the pavement. It wasn't an environment where black raspberries would likely grow, and these berries, growing vigorously like weeds, seemed to be something else.
Judging from the shape of the leaves, it's probably blackberry (Rubus parvifolius) or a closely related introduced plant. When I tasted them, they were sweet and sour and delicious. The berries were large and abundant for a wild species, making them extremely valuable as food.

I got carried away and picked over 1kg!

Along with some Rubus parvifolius and apple mint I collected elsewhere, I made a roll cake, panna cotta jelly, and a smoothie.

Reference: Ministry of the Environment, Invasive Alien Species List (tentative name), List of Plant Species Under Consideration (Under Consideration) [Alien Species Originating from Abroad] pdf
https://www.env.go.jp/nature/intro/2o...

Date of photography: July 22-24, 2026

I co-authored "Wild Grasses, Mountain Vegetables, and Mushrooms Encyclopedia" with Akira Takemoto, which contains information on wild grasses and mushrooms that are fun to pick and delicious to eat, in a convenient, portable size.

Don't miss this opportunity! 📕

https://amzn.asia/d/ggWBuAF
(Also available at bookstores)

#wildplantgathering #blackberries #strawberrypicking #rollcake #blackberries #foraging