What is Aronia (Chokeberry) and are the berries health benefits?

Aronia berries grow in North America in small bunches, much like blackcurrants, blueberries, and cranberries, but have earned the nicknames “apple berries” and “choke berries” because they look more like the stone fruit inside. There are two forms of chokeberry plants (Aronia melanocarpa); red and blue, though the blue is most common, and has the same blue-black shade of a blackberry. The fruit is about the same size as a blueberry, has the similar sharp taste of blackcurrants, and only contains 13 calories per 28g (fresh).  

Traditionally, Native Americans used choke berries as a cold remedy, and likely found them an effective cure due to the berries’ richness in antioxidants. Current studies show that they have wide-spread health benefits.