From folklore to the nutraceutical world: the Corema album potential

Abstract Corema album (L.) D. Don (Ericaceae) is an endemic shrub that can be found in Southern European Atlantic coastal dunes, the fruits of which, white crowberries, Portuguese crowberry, Atlantic pearls, and beachberries or “camarinhas” in Portuguese, have the potential to be explored as a new berry crop. The importance of this plant in human culture dates back at least from the Early Neolithic, as evidenced in the current archaeobotanical research places. These berries were traditionally consumed along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula and have been used in popular medicine. Although the plant and its fruits have been known for many years, the berries never became a commercial crop. This chapter offers one contribution for the valorization of C. album in terms of the nutritional and biological studies (e.g., phenolic content, antioxidant properties, and cytotoxic effects) and explores the berries as a source of ancient recipes and novel food ingredients.