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According to "Larousse Gastronomique", the canonical French reference on food, strawberries, part of the rose family, were not cultivated in Europe until the thirteenth century.
More relevant to us here in the U.S. is what Evan Jones, in his "American Food/The Gastronomic Story" (1981) says:
"Nothing is more American than strawberries freshly picked and drenched in thick cream unless it is strawberry shortcake. Sometimes this earthy Americanism has been gussied up by airy white cake, or bread dough enriched with sugar and eggs, as in old Nantucket kitchens --- but an unimpeachable strawberry shortcake needs a baking powder biscuit lavishly mixed with butter and cream. Carefully split into two layers, the lower is slathered with butter before accepting its burden of berries with sugar to make a filling that drips down the sides. The top is buttered still hot, covers the crushed berries, and is capped with more berries."
Yum!
Strawberries also contain more Vitamin C than citrus fruit, and are brimming with fruit acids --- both compounds among the most fashion-forward in skincare. For a revivifying spring tonic for your face, make a facial mask of crushed strawberries.
Last but not least, locally grown strawberries -rule-. Commercially-grown strawberries have made the lists put out every year in the last ten by Consumers Union, the Environmental Working Group, and others of the foods most heavily contaminated by the worst kinds of pesticidal glop. A must to avoid! Besides, commercially-grown strawberries usually -taste- like wet paper-towels, and strawberries from your local family farm taste like, well, strawberries.
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