Agricultural The leaves are harvested three or four times a year by a leaf-picking method under rain-fed or semi-arid conditions, depending on the monsoon. The leaves are useful as animal fodder. The tree branches pruned in the fall (autumn; after the leaves have fallen) are cut and used to make durable baskets supporting agriculture and
animal husbandry.
Culinary As the fruit matures, mulberries change in texture and color, becoming succulent, plump, and juicy, resembling a
blackberry. The color of the fruit does not distinguish the mulberry species, as mulberries may be white, lavender or black in color. The fruit of the black mulberry (native to southwest Asia) and the red mulberry (native to eastern North America) have distinct flavors. White mulberry fruits are typically sweet, but not tart, while red mulberries are usually deep red, sweet, and juicy. Black mulberries are large and juicy, with balanced sweetness and tartness. The fruit of the East Asian white mulberry – a species extensively naturalized in urban regions of eastern North America – has a different flavor, sometimes characterized as refreshing and a little tart, with a bit of gumminess to it and a hint of
vanilla. Mulberries are used in pies, tarts, wines,
cordials, and
herbal teas.
Jams and
sherbets are often made from the fruit in the
Old World. In spring, new tender twigs are semisweet and can be eaten raw or cooked. In
Armenia, mulberries are common, with wide usage in homemade
oghi (
moonshine)
production, known as
tti oghi, and syrup known as doshab.
Supplement The fruit and leaves are sold in various forms as
dietary supplements.
Silk industry '', feeding on a mulberry tree Mulberry leaves, particularly those of the white mulberry, are ecologically important as the sole food source of the
silkworm (
Bombyx mori, named after the mulberry genus
Morus), the
cocoon of which is used to make
silk. The
wild silk moth also eats mulberry. Other
Lepidoptera larvae—which include the
common emerald,
lime hawk-moth,
sycamore moth, and
fall webworm—also eat the plant. The Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated the mulberry for silkworms; at least as early as 220
AD, Emperor
Elagabalus wore a silk robe. English clergy wore silk vestments from about 1500 onwards. Mulberry and the silk industry played a role in
colonial Virginia.
Pigment Mulberry fruit color derives from
anthocyanins, which have unknown effects in humans. Anthocyanins are responsible for the attractive colors of fresh plant foods, including orange, red, purple, black, and blue. Sugars, acids, and vitamins of the fruit remained intact in the residual juice after removal of the anthocyanins, indicating that the juice may be used for other food products. Mulberry
germplasm resources may be used for: • exploration and collection of fruit yielding mulberry species • their characterization, cataloging, and evaluation for anthocyanin content by using traditional, as well as modern, means and
biotechnology tools • developing an information system about these cultivars and varieties • training and global coordination of genetic stocks • evolving suitable breeding strategies to improve the anthocyanin content in potential breeds by collaboration with various research stations in the field of sericulture, plant genetics, and breeding, biotechnology and
pharmacology Paper During the Angkorian age of the
Khmer Empire of
Southeast Asia, monks at Buddhist temples made paper from the bark of mulberry trees. The paper was used to make books, known as
kraing.
Tengujo is the thinnest paper in the world. It is produced in Japan and made with kozo (stems of mulberry trees). Traditional Japanese
washi paper is often created from parts of the mulberry tree.
Wood The wood of mulberry trees is used for
barrel aging of
Țuică, a traditional Romanian plum brandy. ==Culture==