Some historical facts about strawberries
- Strawberries were originally cultivated in ancient Rome
- 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.
- 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, who are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and abundance of milk in return.
- The American Indians were already eating strawberries when the Colonists arrived. The crushed berries were mixed with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread. After trying this bread, Colonists developed their own version of the recipe and Strawberry Shortcake was created.
- The strawberry, as we know it, was originally grown in northern Europe, but species are also found in Russia, Chile, and the United States.
- The berries seem to be strewn among the leaves of the plant. The plant first had the name strewberry, which later was changed to strawberry.
- In France strawberries were cultivated in the 13th Century for use as a medicinal herb. Historical Medicinal Uses of Fragaria Vesca (Alpine Strawberry): It is said that the leaves, roots and fruits of this variety of strawberry were used for a digestive or skin tonic. Internally, the berry was used for diarrhoea and digestive upset, while the leaves and the roots were used for gout. Externally, it was used for sunburn and skin blemishes, and the fruit juice was used for discoloured teeth.
- Legend has it that if you break a double strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall in love with each other.
- The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shapes and red color.
- The first documented botanical illustration of a strawberry plant appeared as a figure in Herbaries in 1454.
