Why Is a Strawberry Called a Strawberry?
There are several possible answers to how strawberries got their name, one actually has something to do with straw.
Legend has it that in the 19th century England, children would pick strawberries to sell, and string them on grass straws. This is the least popular theory of how strawberries got their name, because strawberries were around a long time before the 19th century.
The second theory has to do with straw. Farmers would place straw on the ground around the plants to keep the strawberries clean, slow down weeds, and keep moisture in the soil. But, there again, strawberries have been around, in the wild, long before they were cultivated.
The next theory concerns the way strawberries look. Their seeds, or actually achenes, are on the outside of the berry and look like straw, if you define straw as a piece of straw, a mote, or a chaff. Since the achenes are yellowish in color, that is a more plausible explanation.
Now, it is time to really answer the question, “Why is a strawberry called a strawberry. The most popular idea says the word "straw" comes from "stray" or "strewn." Strawberries have runners, and when you see them in the wild, the runners "stray" all over the ground, so it appears the plants have been "strewn" across the ground. Hence the word “strewnberry” became “strawberry.” This theory makes the most sense of all.
Strawberries
Strawberries are not actually berries, mainly because their seeds are not inside. They belong to the Roseacea family, or rose family, which is a huge family including:
- Peaches
- Prunes
- Raspberries
- Pears
- Apples
- Plums
- Almonds
- Roses
Strawberries have potassium, nitrate, vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants, and fiber. Strawberries are only 55 calories per cup and naturally fat-free, unless dipped in chocolate.
Strange Structure
Now that you know the answer to the question, "Why is a strawberry called a strawberry?" you also need to know that a strawberry is not covered with seeds, exactly. A seed contains an embryo and can be used to produce a new plant. It is a fertilized ovule of a flowering plant. A fruit, on the other hand, is a matured ovary, but is not fertilized, so it could not produce a new plant.
The "seeds" on a strawberry are actually called "achenes," which are a combination of both the seed and the fruit. The seed is inside, enveloped by the ovary wall. So, if you call them seeds, as everyone does, you are half right.
The large, red, juicy part of the strawberry is not the seed or the fruit, it is actually the stem. On a stem are receptacles, where the flower organs are attached and grow. The receptacles sometimes become engorged, or enlarged, and become a delicious fruit. You would not think a stem could be that good, but it is, and it’s the same for pineapples and apples.
Strawberry Fields
Strawberries grow wild in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. They have over 200 seeds (achenes) on them and are the first fruit to ripen in the spring. California produces a billion pounds of strawberries a year, more than any other state and 94 percent of the households in the United States eat strawberries.
Strawberries have had a lot of uses throughout history. Since they were believed to bring peace and prosperity, stone masons, in medieval times, carved their shape into pillars and altars of churches. Romans used them to treat infections, depression, inflammation, and other diseases.
Rumor had it, if you cut open a strawberry and shared with someone of the opposite sex, the two of you would fall in love. The French served newlyweds strawberries mixed with sour cream, powdered sugar and an herb called borage. In the United States, the colonists enjoyed a dish the Native American Indians prepared with "heart-seed berries," or strawberries, and corn bread. They made it a little differently, and it evolved into Strawberry Short Cake.