Strawberries

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did”

Dr William Butler (1536-1617)

A Fruit By Any Other Name Would Taste As Sweet ...

There are a few theories as to how the ‘strawberry’ got its name. The ‘straw’ bit could come from the fact that straw was used to keep the strawberries fresh – with some growers still using straw around the growing fruits to protect them.
Or ‘straw’ could come from the word ‘strewed’, meaning ‘to spread wide’, describing the runners which spread outward from the central plant.
Another theory is that strawberries were named in the nineteenth century by English children who would pick the berries and string them onto grass straws which they then sold as ‘straws of berries’.

A Few Fruity Facts ...

Strawberries are the ONLY fruit that grows seeds on the outside – in fact the strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries are said to have their seeds on the inside – such as blueberries or cranberries ...

There are over 200 seeds on every strawberry ...

The strawberry was a symbol for the Love Goddess Venice ...

A Strawberry A Day Keeps The Doctor At Bay ...

Ancient Romans cultivated strawberries for their medicinal properties – they believed the fruit could cure fever, bad breath, gout, sore throats, kidney stones, depression, fainting and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.

A Little Bit Of Elf ...

Farmers in Bavaria tie small baskets of fruit on to their cow’s horns as an offering to the elves – they believe as a ‘thank you’ that the elves (who love strawberries) will help produce healthy calves and increased milk supply.

A Little Bit Of History ...

Wepion, strawberry capital of the world

Situated 8km south of Namur in Belgium, is Wepion the capital of the strawberry. Strawberries have been grown in Wepion for over 150 years – in fact in Wepion is the perfect microclimate for growing strawberries with plantations exposed to the sun on the west slope and a schistose soil. In fact the growers in Wepion are so proud of their crops that they have built a museum entirely dedicated to strawberries - with five exhibition rooms given over to the local area and the strawberry growing history.

strawberry gardens

In 1368 Charles V of France ordered that twelve hundred strawberry plants should be grown in the Royal Gardens of the Louvre in Paris – I’m guessing he was abit of a strawberry fan! – and in 1375 the Duke of Burgundy had four full blocks of his potager near Dijon dedicated to strawberries. In fact, the strawberry was often described as a luxury item, enjoyed by royalty – it is said that King Louis XIII ate strawberries everyday and that Louis XIV enjoyed strawberries so much that he ate them to the point of indigestion. It was down to the Kings gardener Jean de la Quintinie to ensure Louis XIV could enjoy strawberries on such a scale – Quintinie kept the first detailed accounts on how to develop larger berries, how to prepare the soil and deal with insects who also liked to feast on the strawberries.

A Bathing Beauty ...

A prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, Madame Tallien was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries for their healing properties – she believed it would keep her skin radiant. She used 22 pounds per basin. Needless to say, she did not bathe daily and she became known as ‘MadameThermidor’!

It Must Be Love...

strawberry

Folk lore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex; you’ll soon fall in love ...

Some consider strawberries as a symbol of Venice, the Goddess of Love.

In medieval times in France, strawberries were thought to be an aphrodisiac – in fact a soup made from strawberries, thinned sour cream, borage and powdered sugar used to be served to newlyweds at their wedding breakfast. Modern studies may give credence to this - according to the British Summer Fruits study eating strawberries may even enhance your sex drive – a result of their high levels of zinc found in their seeds which are eaten (unlike many other fruits when the seeds get left).

During the same period stonemasons used to carve strawberry designs into church decorations as a symbol of flawlessness and virtue.

And Finally ...

Anne Boleyn, royalty strawberry

Strawberry birthmarks (of which I have one so must concede that this point is completely accurate!) were thought to be a sign of Royalty – although it didn’t do Anne Boleyn much good did it??