Montana’s Magical Huckleberry: Loved by Bears, Locals and Tourists
My Sister In Law loves huckleberries. I mean, like she loves, loves them. It all started when she was a manager of Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone. She loves the jam, the jelly, the shakes, the candy, the pie, etc.
I was first introduced to the huckleberry several years ago when I first moved to Montana and to be honest, I think they're ok, in fact, I would go as far as to say they're pretty good, but I guess I don't get the massive love.
Although, the chocolate-covered huckleberries are really little pieces of heaven.
It seems to me, and I could be wrong, they are kind of a Montana tourist thing. Not that locals don't enjoy them, because they do, but it seems like every time I see them, it's either in the Airport in the "Montana" section or in the "Montana" section of the grocery store or a local gift shop.
I decided to do a little research on the huckleberry, just to see what we are dealing with. Here's what I found:
- The huckleberry is kind of like the blueberry, just a little more bitter and a little bigger in size
- Locals and Tourists aren't the only ones that love them. They're also popular with bears, deer, coyotes, and birds
- They've been used in medicine for years, usually to treat heart aliments and infections
- After the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens, huckleberries are one of the only things that survived
- The huckleberry, which is native to North America, was originally called the "hurtleberry" by English colonists
- The phrase "I'll be your huckleberry" means the right person for the job
So, whether you love them or hate them, they are certainly tied to local area and the region. Plus, they make a perfect gift for people that "want something from Montana".