The Strawberry – The Secret Nut

We all know and love them: the strawberry. When berry season starts, they come in all imaginable forms. Particularly popular: jam, cakes, or ice cream.

When the word "berry" comes up, we immediately think of strawberries, blueberries, currants, and the like. Strictly speaking, however, the first thought about "berry" when it comes to strawberries is not entirely correct.

From a botanical perspective, strawberries belong to the group of aggregate fruits, making the strawberry, strictly speaking, a nut. The true fruits of the strawberry, in the biological sense, are the small yellow dots on the strawberry, called achenes. What we know and love as the strawberry is actually a red false fruit. Therefore, the hard-shelled achenes are located on the red flesh of the strawberry.

Since we all consider strawberries to be berries, it's perfectly fine to call the strawberry a berry. By the way, in nature, strawberries spread almost on their own. The red, delicious-looking false fruits of the strawberry attract animals and insects. The animals eat the strawberries and then excrete the achenes. These can then germinate and form new strawberry plants. Did you know? Even ants can't resist the sweet strawberries and carry the red "fruits" all the way to their nests. Once there, they feed on the fruit flesh and transport the achenes back outside.

Anyone who loves berries can't overlook strawberries. This "half-berry" is not only incredibly delicious but also absolutely healthy. Just 150 grams of strawberries cover the daily vitamin C needs of an adult. But strawberries offer much more: they are rich in iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and zinc. The trace element manganese also contributes to healthy blood and bone formation. And for those with kidney issues, eating strawberries is highly recommended as they are diuretic.