The later the evening, the weirder the discussions. It's fascinating how devoted people get after only a bottle of beer, or maybe five. The other day I became engaged in a heated debate whether strawberries could be classified (botanically) as berries. Supposedly, they are related to cashew nuts. This sounds absurd, but aren't those absurd story the most surprising truths? Well, by now I had time to look it up, and yes, strawberries are technically not berries or even fruits, but pseudo fruits or false fruit. And so are cashew nuts, or pineapples for that matter. But that doesn't make them related. Furthermore, cashew nuts are technically not nuts either, but seeds. So here you have it, it's all a big mess. Does it make any difference when you eat them? Of course not. In June, strawberries are delicious!
A friend of mine fled from Eastern Germany before the the reunification. He told me that he spend the first money he got in the west on strawberries, because it was so amazing that you can buy them out of season. It was also the quickest way to disillusion him about the West: the berries looked great, but tasted of pure water. Of course, you can buy strawberry flavoured food throughout the year, but did you ever wondered why it taste so different than fresh strawberries? The answer is simple, the flavouring is nor made from strawberries, but from rotting wood. Yummy! But now, it's the season, so go and indulge yourself in proper strawberries, while they last.
I’m usually too impatient and eat them raw, as they are, but they are also one of those fruits which I find most inspiring for experiments, be it in forms of milkshake, salad, cheesecake, or even grilled. Whatever you do, strawberries should remain the main ingredient, but it helps to have some other nuances support their taste. For example, when you eat them raw, try to add a bit of freshly ground black pepper and some drops of balsamic vinegar. To make a strawberry sauce, mix 300 gram of strawberries with a blender. In a small pan, add two or three tablespoons sugar and the same amount of orange juice. Also, a teaspoon of lemon juice and - this is the unusual part - a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little bit (quarter of a teaspoon) ground coriander seeds. Bring the mixture to boil, so that that the flavours combine and let it cool again. It's wonderful with ice cream or yoghurt and so much nicer than the sauces you can buy.