Welcome to Haus Charlottenburg

copyright 2009, Martha R. Fletcher
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     Strawberries are soft fruit cultivated for its sweetness and juicy red flesh.  It is also found as a small ground berry in the wild. In its wild state the strawberry grows much as it’s cultivated cousin does with vine like stems and lush green leaves. The main difference is that the fruit of the wild strawberry is tiny in size compared to the strawberry that was grown in gardens over a large part of Europe which are large and plump.

        The name “strawberry” did not come into use until 1538. Before this time the berry was called by its Anglo-Saxon name of  “Streoberie”.  No one is quite sure how this fruit got its name. It is sometimes thought that because straw is used under the plants to protect the berries from the ground that this is why they are called “Strawberries”. Another school of thought believes that the name derives from the way the plant trail along the ground with runners branching off in all directions. In Latin the name for strawberries is “Fragra” or fragrant. By any name it is just as sweet!

        Many countries have had strawberries for hundreds of years. Italy is known to have had these plants as far back as 234 BC.  When the first Europeans came to the new world at approximately 1588, they found that the native Americans were using strawberries mixed with cornmeal to make a sort of fruit-bread. It still is a popular and easy crop to grow.  Many home gardens sport a row or two.

       Strawberries are a symbol of love and romance. The aphrodisiac qualities of the beautiful strawberry is thought to be because it is bright red and shaped like a heart. The goddess Venus is associated with the strawberry because she is the Goddess of love and beauty. Legend says that if a double strawberry is broken and shared by two people they will immediately fall in love.  So much care much must be taken with this voluptuous fruit!

        My recipe is for Strawberries and Sweetened cream. This time of year it is difficult to find fresh strawberries and you can substitute frozen berries in a pinch. Use heavy cream and sugar to taste and top your strawberries with this mixture but not so much as to be “soupy”. This dish was enjoyed in the 16th century in England. Bruyerin-Champier who was a physician to King Henry the IV noted that English ladies loved strawberries and cream so much that they began planting them in their own gardens. This dish is a favorite in England even today.  It is still served at the Wimbledon Tennis matches each spring.