Cream or sour cream is probably the best accompaniment to a bowl of fresh blueberries. Currants and their close relatives, gooseberries, are comparatively rare in the United States, although they are both quite popular in Europe. However, they are available in many parts of the country, especially the Pacific Northwest, where the climate is ideal for them. Gooseberries were first cultivated in the Caucasus and North Africa and then brought to Europe. Most gooseberries found in America are hybrids of European and native new-world varieties, because the pure European strains have never done well here.
Gooseberries come in translucent green, pink, or red varieties.
The most famous dish made with them is fool, a compote mixed with cream. A gooseberry sauce, however, will complement other fish or game dishes, for example, trout or duckling. There are red, white, and black currants. The black ones are famously used to make creme de cassis, a currant-flavored liqueur. All varieties are found in fruit tarts, preserves, and sorbets.