Did You Know? Fun Facts About Strawberries

When it comes to seasonality and the food available at certain times of the year, for many of us, the favorite and sweetest season is finally arriving: local fruit, and especially STRAWBERRIES! 🍓

Many favor them for their irresistible appearance and sweet flavor nurtured by the sun, while also being rich in water and vitamins. They also possess aphrodisiac properties and have proven beneficial against depression.

There is so much hidden behind our strawberries, which is why we are dedicating this article to them and their little secrets.

So get ready for… did you know? 🍓

Did you know that strawberries actually belong to the rose family?  

They belong to the Rosaceae family, the very same family as roses.

This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the large Rosaceae family actually includes other fruits too—such as apples, raspberries, and plums.

Did you know that they aren't a true fruit?

What we eat—red, sweet, and juicy—is not the true fruit of the strawberry plant, but rather one of its plant tissues that botanists call a "false fruit." Botanically speaking, it is not a berry, but belongs to nuts.

This explains their allergenic nature, as those allergic to nuts can also be allergic to strawberries.

The true fruit of the plant 

Another fun fact about strawberries is that their seeds are located on the outside of the pulp, or the so-called "false fruit." Interestingly, these tiny seeds are actually the plant's true fruits and serve for its reproduction.

The result of "domestication"

In the beginning, like many other fruits and vegetables, there were only the strawberries we today call wild strawberries. They are significantly smaller, often slightly sourer in taste (though not as a rule), and grow naturally in forests and meadows.

During childhood, we could find them almost everywhere, but due to increasingly intensive mowing and urbanization, they are gradually disappearing from our regions, along with many other native meadow plants. They were once a common sight along paths and in open fields, where they contributed to the richness of local flora.

The development of strawberry cultivation began as early as the Roman Empire, when the first recorded attempts at outdoor cultivation appeared. Later, with advancements in agriculture and greenhouse farming, numerous cultivated varieties emerged. As a result, the fruits gradually grew larger and juicier until they reached the form we know and enjoy today.