Carpentras Strawberries
History
The strawberry began by growing wild in America, Asia and Western Europe. It spread throughout the world thanks to migratory birds. In Roman times, it was appreciated for its taste and fragrance and used for its therapeutic properties. The strawberry that we enjoy today was introduced to France in the Middle Ages, and from the Renaissance onwards, it was eaten with cream or wine. In the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie, Louis XIV's gardener, cultivated it in the king's vegetable garden. The king was so fond of the little red fruit that he developed an allergy to it. A famous botanist, Amédée-François Frézier brought back plants of a new species of strawberry with large white fruits from Chile, the Chilean white. He disembarked on 17 August 1714 in Marseille, leaving them with various people, before bringing them back to the botanical garden in Brest. He had the idea of crossing his plants with indigenous varieties, and created the "strawberry-pineapple". Since this first hybrid, more than 600 varieties have been created, including the Carpentras strawberry, first planted in 1882.
Varieties and Flavours
There are now more than 600 varieties of strawberries in France. The Carpentras strawberry, grown around the town of the same name in the Comtat Venaissin plain, is available in markets from March and has an unbeatable taste. There are four main varieties:
- Cléry: which is carmine red and very bright, with a very aromatic and pleasant taste.
- Gariguette: orange-red in colour, elongated, very fragrant.
- Ciflorette: orange-red in colour and ovoid in shape, with tender, juicy, slightly acidic flesh, similar to the scent of the wild strawberry. It is considered a top-of-the-range strawberry.
- Pajaro: dark red, almost purple, with an imposing heart shape.
The French consume an average of 2 kilograms of strawberries per person per year. 4,000 tons are produced each year in Carpentras, which represents more than 50% of the production of Provence with 500 farms in the Carpentras area.
The Question on Everyone's Mind
Is the strawberry a fruit?
Well, not quite! The red, fleshy part that we like to bite into is not considered a fruit because it is only the receptacle of the flower. It is the "achenes", the small hard yellow seeds that can be seen on the surface of the strawberry, that are the fruit.
How to Eat Them
Strawberries are eaten as a dessert, raw with sugar, cream or whipped cream. Widely used in cakes, millefeuille and tarts, they can also be found in ice cream, jam, candied fruit, syrup and nectar. They can also be used in savoury recipes, although this is more surprising.
One recipe? No, several!
The Carpentras strawberry became a registered trademark in 1987. It has its own brotherhood, which offers a virtual booklet with several sweet and savoury recipes based on strawberries, entitled: "Recipes from the Carpentras strawberry brotherhood". Just follow this link and grab your aprons: en.calameo.com/read/0045598213d93980f9928.
Where to Buy Them
On all markets and with producers who sell it directly: www.acheteralasource.com/producteurs-en-france/fruits/ville/34260.
Strawberry Events
The Carpentras Strawberry Festival takes place in mid-April. It is an opportunity to meet local producers and to have a taste!
To find out all about strawberries, visit the farms of Mr Alain Rosa, Mrs Virginie Fraysse or Mr Philippe Bon. Don't forget to book: www.ventouxprovence.fr
