Strawberries!

Who can deny the simple, glorious pleasure of a tiny, perfectly ripe, sweet, juicy strawberry?

Or, indeed a bowl-full?

Why do we love them?

• their presence at the markets means it’s springtime
• growers who love to sell them at farmers’ markets are always very proud of these sweet red delights
• they’re fun, healthful fast-food, containing Vitamin C and silicon, and usually have more iron and potassium than the other berries
• they dress up and down, with minimal accessorising, and always look good
• children love them
• they belong to the same class of plants as roses
• Eastern medicine considers they have a cooling nature, moisten the Lungs and generate body fluids, and can benefit episodes of sore, dry throat or hoarse voice. Belonging to the spring-phase, they’re an ideal addition to an activating, cleansing diet.

Strawberry nonsense, full of trickery and fakery and things you really shouldn’t swallow, lick, or kiss too often:

• strawberry-flavoured anything… lipbalms, lipsticks, perfumes. Why? There’s simply no such thing as a ‘natural’ strawberry flavour or aroma. Trust me on this.
• non-organically grown or mass-produced strawberries. Why? Poor little stawbs… they’re a fruit which is usually doused with all kinds of agricultural chemicals, and is often hybridised to be tough and hardy  { including in your mouth }.  They’re often picked way too soon, which means they never ripen, and arrive in their plastic punnets, all sour, cranky and tart.

How do you enjoy strawberries?

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Images: Renoir Strawberries 1905; strawberry illustration sourced at Wikipedia, origin not noted.

Words: © Margi Macdonald

Cautions and Care: This article is for your information, and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and care. If you have a concern about your health or well-being, or that of another, please see your doctor or other approriately qualified and experienced health professional.