Shiny-leaf Buckthorn is small tree or shrub that originates from Africa.
In Ethiopia this plant is called Gesho. It is used to produce a type of mead called Tej. The stems of gesho are boiled to prepare an extract that is similar to hops and gives the drink a bitter taste. It is also used to brew an Ethiopian beer called tella. The gesho tree also has edible shiny red fruits.
Names
Scientific
Rhamnus prinoides
English
Shiny-leaf Buckthorn
Spanish
Espino cerval de hoja brillante
French
Gesho
German
Afrikanischer Faulbaum
Other
Gesho
Taxonomy
Genus
Rhamnus
Family
Rhamnaceae
Order
Rosales
Crop categories
Herbs
Medicinal plants
Tropical crops