Around the World in 40 Fruits – Volume 36 – By Dr. Marli Botha – Article 36 of 40
By Dr. Marli Botha
Strawberries are widely considered Denmark’s unofficial national fruit, deeply cherished for their sweet flavor, especially during the summer season. The reverence for Danish strawberries is so strong that they are a cultural icon, celebrated with recipes and local pride.
Let’s wander into the Danish summer fields and discover why this classic fruit remains one of Europe’s most cherished harvests:
- Strawberries from Denmark are exceptionally sweet and juicy, often attributing this to specific varieties like ‘Honeoye’ grown in sunny regions.
- Botanically, the strawberry is not a berry, but an aggregate accessory fruit. Each apparent ‘seed’ on the outside of the strawberry is actually an achene, a botanical fruit with a seed inside it.
- Strawberries are often grouped according to their flowering habit. Strawberries occur in three basic flowering habits: short-day, long-day, and day-neutral.
- Strawberries were eaten fresh with cream in the time of Thomas Wolsey in the court of King Henry VIII. Strawberries can be frozen or made into jam or preserves, as well as dried and used in prepared foods, such as cereal bars.
- In the United Kingdom, strawberries and cream is a popular dessert at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
