Content research & writing - Verjus By Nathan Outlaw
History
The word Verjus comes from the Middle French ‘vert jus’ (green juice). It is made from pressed unripe (or green) grapes.
Verjus is mentioned in the medieval handbook on health and wellbeing, called the Tacuinum Sanitatis (1474), based on an eleventh-century Arab medical treatise by Ibn Butlan of Baghdad, with several variant Latin versions popular throughout western Europe.
Before the easier to prepare vinegar and lemon acids were widely available, Verjus was used extensively by medieval cooks to aid digestion, purify the system, and as an integral balancing ingredient, in condiments, sauces, soups and to deglaze during cooking.
This ancient ingredient continues to be used in Persian cuisine (there called husroum) and Syrian cooking (known as ab-ghooreh) and on French-influenced Australian and Creole tables.
It is the acidic ingredient in vegetable and meat stews, fish marinades and salad dressings, to deglaze the roasting pan and as a reduction that heightens both its expressive fruit sweetness and mild acidity.
Health
While the benefits of Verjus have been well-known down the ages, modern medical research has since investigated its healthful effects. In Ahmadi and Roney’s review of 48 scientific studies on the effects of Verjus,* the Canadian researchers found a number of positive indicators.
Verjus, being structurally similar to grape juice, is a rich source of bioactive compounds like flavonoids (catechin and anthocyanin) and phenolic acids. These phytochemicals have benefits that include antioxidant activity, stimulating the immune system, lowering the incident of cardiovascular disease and stroke, anti-obesity effects and reducing cholesterol level and preventing liver inflammation.
The researchers saw Verjus’ promise as an anti-hypertensive agent for those with high blood pressure, a significant improvement in the inflammatory response and due to its antioxidant properties, helping to eliminate the harmful effects of free radicals.
In their conclusion, Ahmadi and Roney posited that ‘verjuice may have significant beneficial cardio-protective effects through normalization of blood lipids (fats) and other CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) risk factors in hyperlipidemic patients,’ which warranted further research.
*Ahmadi L and Roney SK. Pharmacological and Phytochemical Properties of Unripe Grape Juice (Verjuice): A Review. Austin J Nutr Metab. 2014;1(2): 9