“I remember from childhood how our grandmother used to say: 'Viburnum praised itself, that I am good with honey,' when she treated us to pies with the berries of this plant. For us, viburnum became a real delicacy, especially after it had been frozen for a couple of weeks, which removed all bitterness. We stored the collected berries in bunches all winter. But grandmother had a secret — viburnum in sugar. These sweet berries, covered with a sugary crust, looked simply delightful. How nice it was to taste them — they melted in the mouth and offered a refreshing tartness. There always seemed to be not enough of grandmother's treats, and that’s why the viburnum bushes on our plot did not die out,” says resident of Kara-Balta Marina Fedorenko.
Today, bright clusters of viburnum berries can be found in the markets of the Jayil district, where their price ranges from 30 to 40 soms per bunch.
According to biologist Irina Stezhko, viburnum has a long history of use in folk medicine. There are about two hundred species of this plant on the planet, of which a dozen can be found in Kyrgyzstan. The most well-known and widespread in the country is the common viburnum — a sprawling shrub that yields a bountiful harvest every year. Fresh viburnum berries that have been subjected to frost have a positive effect on health, helping with stomach ulcers and other digestive disorders. All parts of the plant have beneficial properties, but the most medicinal is considered to be the bark, which contains many organic acids, the glycoside viburnin, and tannins. Preparations made from the bark are used in medicine to stop internal bleeding. Folk healers use it to treat nervous disorders and insomnia. In addition, veterinarians use viburnum bark in the treatment of respiratory diseases in animals. In gardening, viburnum serves as an excellent green fence — it is planted along the borders of plots, propagated by layering, cuttings, and division of the bush.
