Aronia is the berry with the top antioxidant action and multiple beneficial effects. Aronia, this extraordinary berry producing shrub with the properties that are very beneficial to us, comes from North America. Historically, Aronia melanocarpa, one of the more popular species of Aronia, was used by the North American Forest Potawatomi tribe for the strengthening of the immune system. It came to Europe last century and its cultivation, mainly in North Eastern parts of the continent, start taking roots until the 1940s.

Aronia melanocarpa (Black chokeberry) is one of 16 species in the genus Aronia. It is relatively resilient. Aronia blossoms from spring to midsummer and then is harvested from the end of August to October.

It needs sun: however, some varieties need exposure to some cold weather. Hence in Greece it is mainly cultivated in semi-mountainous altitudes (400m-700m) or even higher depending on the latitude. It is noteworthy that aronia berries don’t need insecticides or fungicides thanks to their natural resistance to insects and diseases.

The most important characteristic of aronia is the high content of polyphenols and anthocyanins, which have many beneficial properties for human health, mainly their antioxidant activity.