Strawberry Season

Strawberry season in Japan has always been something of a mystery to me. An oddity of different locations and countries. The Japanese strawberry season is from December to mid-May. The Strawberry season I am accustomed to is from May to mid-July. A summer fruit in winter is how I tend to view this lovely red fruit. There is even a special day each January for this fruit, January 15th. Ichi=1 and go=5 both together are ichigo or strawberry. 

Yet, in the middle of February, these lovely red fruits make their way into supermarket stores.

This is due to the fact these berries are grown in greenhouses. Now, the Japanese believe that the stable environment of the greenhouse allows the berries to reach an exceptional flavor and uniform shape and size.

These berries picked early in the morning in Tochigi, Saga, Amauo, and Shizuoka are carefully shipped to dot the tops of cakes and are swirled inside breads, icecreams, and cheesecakes.

They glisten under the light of the stores and are made accessible for tea time or a late-night treat.

One of the most unusual of strawberries is the Hatsukoi no Kaori- the scent of first love_ a white strawberry with red seeds. These berries are harder to find and often cost more due to their rarity. And they are as sweet as the memory of that first love.

I do love strawberry tea. It is warming and refreshing all at once.