Strawberry (500 g)

The strawberry has a natural red colour and large size. It highlights its smooth and consistent touch and an intense flavour able to satisfy the most discerning palates. The cultivation of this fruit has mostly replaced the commercial production of wild strawberry. Its widespread cultivation in greenhouses and new species with different mature period allow us to find this delicious fruit available throughout the year.

History and origin of strawberry

It originated in Europe in the early eighteenth century emerged as an experimental cross between two wild strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis  from the American Pacific Coast and Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America. The first was notable for its large size and the second for its fine flavour. From this junction the fruit has been constantly improved by researchers until the current strawberry which denotes amazing quality. The strawberry is grown in temperate zones around the world and today there are more than 1000 varieties sign of the great capacity of hybridization of this fruit. 

Strawberry and wild strawberry differences

Both come from the same family Rosaceae genus Fragaria. The reality is that over 90% of the products we find nowadays are strawberries, although many still incorrectly classified them as wild strawberries when the fact is that wild strawberry is hard to find on the market.

Wild strawberries maintain their culture in a few areas, worth to mention the traditional wild strawberry from Aranjuez in Spain.

Wild strawberry is a very small fruit, about the size of a thumb with white exterior and red interior and is very aromatic. By contrast the strawberry is sweet, big but with little aroma. Wild strawberry is diploid while strawberry is octoploide in shape. While wild strawberry seeds can reproduce the strawberry requires a plant.

The reason there is so little wild strawberry is the difficulty in cultivation and precise workmanship. It is a very delicate and prone to frost fruit, too much given to problems of viral diseases. It is not a suitable fruit for transport and subtracting much competitive market against the regular strawberry we eat nowadays.

Finally note that the wild strawberry is a seasonal product that is collected only in spring while there are so many varieties of strawberries that you can enjoy them during the 12 months of the year.

Properties and benefits of strawberries

• Rich in antioxidants.
• Rich source of vitamins.
• Natural anti-inflammatory.
• Its high content of potassium, magnesium and vitamin K enhances bone health.
• Because of its low calorie content and high nitrate content strawberries are ideal for weight loss because more than 80% of its composition is water which gives it diuretic properties too.
• It is highly recommended for pregnant women because they contain folic acid.
• It helps to improve digestion and intestinal transit and to make us feel lighter because it cleanses the body due to its high fibre content.
• Combats anaemia and increases immunity avoiding possible colds.
• Its nutrients help improve kidney and liver function.