Alpine currant edibility.

Seems there's some confusion out there.

I got an email: "Is the berry of alpine currant (Ribes alpinum) edible?"

I did a quick websearch:
167 results for "Ribes alpinum" edible
19 results for "Ribes alpinum" inedible
194 results for "alpine currant" edible
30 results for "alpine currant" inedible

So the botanically versed are more often right: yes, alpine currant berry is edible. It's just not worthwhile, as it has next to no taste. In Finnish it's called "taikinamarja", "dough berry", which pretty much describes it.

It's wild in our woods. Nobody would buy the thing and put it in a garden. It's a rubbish bush, a weed, an inconspicious thing which doesn't even have the grace of tasty berries.

So entrepreneurs sell it as "alppiherukka" ... alpine currant. And people buy it, in droves. Well done!