The strawberry is yet another food that has a name that is not actually accurate. Rather like how few things called nut, especially those with nut in the name, are actually nuts in the botanical sense, many fruits with berry in the name are not actually berries in the botanical sense. The strawberry is an aggregate accessory fruit - which were once called by names such as false fruit or spurious fruit.
Strawberries are a comparatively modern fruit, in domesticated terms, with domestication only beginning with the growth of the first garden strawberry being in Brittany in France in the late 18th century. The fruit was mentioned in Roman literature in regards to its medicinal use, which is, even at around a couple of thousand years old, still quite modern compared to many fruit species.
Although the strawberry was being raised in gardens, especially in France, prior to the introduction of the garden strawberry, most strawberries were either wild strawberries or cultivated from them.
Strawberries are a very popular fruit, used in many different ways. They can be eaten as-is, but are also used as ingredients in jams and other preserves and pies, as well as many desserts including ice cream. They are popular in combination with dairy products. Strawberries are an excellent source of flavanoids and vitamin C. They are also a comparatively easy plant to grow at home, and can be grown almost anywhere. Today, the United States is the world's largest producer of strawberries.
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