Strawberry - Berries 

Description

Strawberries are the red fruit of stoloniferous creeping plants. These are herbaceous plant species belonging to the genus Fragaria, from the family Rosaceae.

Origins

Fruit known since antiquity, the Romans consumed it to mix with their cosmetic products because of its pleasant smell. Although cultivated in European gardens since the 14th century, the current strawberry was imported from South America four centuries later by Amédée François Frézier, an engineer, botanist and French navigator, whose name seemed predestined. At that time he took over five new varieties of plants that would be mixed with European crops in Plougastel-Daoulas. In 1740, this city, which was already a producer of wild strawberries, became the first place of production of this new species called Plougastel strawberry.

Characteristics

From the botanical point of view, strawberries are a false fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. The strawberries from our markets are hybrids very far away from the South American wild strawberries species. They were selected based on numerous criteria, that is, on their taste, their size and their ability to be cultivated, collected, preserved and transported. Depending on the variety, the ripening season of strawberries extends from May to September in the northern hemisphere, but using artificial cultivation techniques such as on the ground, under tunnels or heated greenhouses, it is now possible to produce strawberries outside the traditional period from April to November. It is widely appreciated for its characteristic perfume, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness, consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in prepared foods such as jam, juice, pies, ice cream, milkshakes, and chocolates.

Other facts

The cultivation of strawberries was the speciality of the town of Plougastel-Daoulas, which produced almost a quarter of French production until the beginning of the 20th century.

Production

United States is the country that harvests the most strawberries in the world, with an annual production of 1.5 million tons. It is followed by Mexico, which harvests 470,000 tons a year, Egypt 465,000 tons, Turkey 420,000 tons, Spain 400,000 tons, and then Russia, Poland and Italy. French production, which is lower than domestic demand, is estimated at 57,000 tons, with a yield of 17 tons per hectare. It is the 9th most consumed fruit in our country and the French buy about 1 kilo per person per year.