Strawberries – What’s All The Fuss About?

Frafaria ananassa, or strawberries to you and me, are one of our most popular choices as a chocolate fountain dipping food. This sumptuous little fruit has a history as colourful as its skin and as cultural as its taste.

It’s not surprising that the modern strawberry came from France, as we so often associate it with summer days and champagne, but this is only the garden strawberry we know and love today. First cultivated in Brittany in the 18th century, the history of the wild variety can be traced far further back to Roman times when it was used for “medicinal purposes.” We suspect it was simply to brighten the day of a weary soldier on the march!

In 2013, we’ve come a long way from the woodland strawberries that travellers felt so lucky to stumble across. Since 2006 the United States have been producing more than 1,000,000 tonnes of strawberries every year, by far and away the leading nation with Turkey coming in second at a paltry 300,000. We know that the States aren’t famous for their nutrition, but they’ve got it right here.

Strawberries are notoriously low in calories and have vital minerals and vitamins in the flesh of the fruit. Anthocyanin and ellagic acid are found within the juice and are thought to have positive effects against the causes of aging, inflammation and even cancer. A surprising amount of Vitamin C, also a good anti-oxidant, can be found in strawberries and puts them level on feel-good-factor with oranges and clementines.

Whether it’s under the sunshine at Wimbledon (always with cream!) or in the comfort of our own home with scones and sponge cakes, we British can’t get enough of strawberries. It comes as no surprise that strawberries are the most requested food for our chocolate fountains, the bright red skin and the dark lustre of melted chocolate complement each other perfectly. If the chocolate is given time to cool, it gives the fruit a fantastic crisp shell which we challenge anybody to try and resist. The combination is one of those treats that we never outgrow; it stays with us long after our sweet tooth has gone.

We personally think that all kinds of fruit go well with chocolate. In fact, we struggle to think of a sweet treat that doesn’t! Whether it’s an intimate wedding or a corporate event that you’re choosing chocolate fountain rental for; strawberries will be an instant hit with everybody attending.

To see a full list of all our chocolate fountain dips, please visit our Dipping Food page.