Did You Know...?
Did you know Strawberry facts …
1. Strawberries were cultivated by the Romans as early as 200 BC.
2. In medieval times strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac and soup made of strawberries, borage and soured cream was traditionally served to newly-weds at their wedding breakfast.
3. In the sixteenth century strawberries were sold in cone-shaped straw baskets thus becoming one of the earliest packaged foods.
4. It is said that the leaves, roots and fruits of the strawberry were used for a digestive or skin tonic. Internally, the berry was used for diarrhoea and digestive upset, whilst the leaves and the roots were used for gout. Externally, it was used for sunburn and skin blemishes.
5. The top prize for strawberry eating goes to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club -- 27 tons of them are eaten (along with more than 1,500 gallons of cream) during the championship.
6. There are about 200 seeds in every strawberry
7. A 100g serving of strawberries are only 50 calories - that's a whooping 0g of fat. Another punnet anyone?
8. Strawberries can help whiten your teeth. The acids in the fruit help to remove stains.
9. Strawberries are full of a special substance called ellagic acid which can help fight cancers.
10. They are also full of flavonoids, which form part of the strawberry's red colour. They are known to help reduce cholesterol from clogging up the heart's arteries.
11. Eight strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange, that's 140% of our daily recommended amount.
12. The word strawberry comes from the Old English words "streowberie" or "streawbelige". There are a few theories about how they got their name. The "straw" bit could come from the straw that was used to keep the strawberries fresh, or it could come from "strewed", which means to spread wide.
13. The Latin name for the famous everyday strawberry is Fragaria Ananassa. We'll just stick to plain old strawberries for now.
14. Strawberries can also be white or yellow and some can even taste like pineapples.
15. The strawberry plant along with its good mate the raspberry plant, are members of the rose family.
16. If you're watching your waistline, why not sprinkle a little black pepper over your strawberries instead of the usual calorific cream? It doesn't sound that appetising, but you'll be pleasantly surprised...
17. Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside
18. The ancient Romans believed that strawberries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, bad breath, attacks of gout, and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.
19. To symbolize perfection and righteousness, medieval stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals.
20. In parts of Bavaria, country folk still practice the annual rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They believe that the elves, are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and an abundance of milk in return.
21. Madame Tallien, a prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries. She used 22 pounds per basin. Needless to say, she did not bathe daily
22. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
23. There is a museum in Belgium just for strawberries
24. In medieval times, strawberries were served at important functions to bring peace & prosperity.
25. Folk lore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love.
