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Strawberries are a feast for skin, body

June 3, 2007 12:35 am

FOR SOME American Indians, June was known as the strawberry-gathering moon. Today, it's one of my favorite times of the year.

The heart-shaped red berries now in season are sweet, sensual and powerfully nourishing.

And they have an intriguing history

For thousands of years, people have used strawberries for religious and beauty rituals. Ancient Egyptian seductress Cleopatra was rumored to bathe in crushed strawberries and milk.

The strawberry was the symbol of Venus, the ancient Roman goddess of love. And according to legend, the fruit is such a powerful aphrodisiac that two people who share a single strawberry were thought to fall in love.

Closer to home, strawberries, due to their heart shape, are sacred to the Midwestern Anishinaabe tribe of American Indians, also known as the Chippewa or Ojibway. And hundreds of years ago, eastern American Indians mixed the berries with cornmeal to bake a strawberry bread, which apparently inspired the Colonists to create strawberry shortcake.

Packed with vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants that keep our skin looking beautiful, strawberries are a treat that makes you glow from the inside out.

A cup of fresh strawberries has only 45 calories and 11 grams of carbohydrate, making it one of the best fruits for diabetics and people trying to lose weight. Plus, the berries supply 4 grams of fiber and 100 percent of the vitamin C you need in a day.

In comparison, a cup of sliced banana has three times the calories and carbs, and one-tenth of the vitamin C. Bananas are still a healthy food--this is just a comparison to show that strawberries are stellar among fruits.

Strawberries also contain ellagic acid, a potent antioxidant that can help protect the skin and reduce the risk of cancer. Also, strawberries are being investigated for their ability to reduce inflammation and protect memory, according to research at the University of Illinois.

There are many types of strawberries. The enormous hybrid berries you find at markets now are delicious and easy to eat. For sheer flavor, though, I love the smaller, wild berries.

When friends generously took me to the French countryside a few years ago, I was fascinated by all the different varieties of strawberries at a village farmers market. Most were no bigger than my pinky fingernail, and some were more cylindrical than round, yet they packed an enormous burst of flavor. It reminded me of the wild strawberries that grew in the woods near my grandparents' house in northern Wisconsin.

It's rare to find these fragrant, tiny strawberries at regular supermarkets. However, organic hybrid strawberries tend to be smaller and more flavorful than their conventionally-grown counterparts.

But for really gourmet berries, you may have to grow your own.

This year, I'm growing Alpine strawberries, which I believe are the only type you can start from seeds, which is very economical.

I would like to try musk strawberries, which are supposed to look sort of ugly and small but have an amazing perfume of pineapple and wine. These have to be special-ordered, however, so I'll have to wait until next year.

In the meantime, I'm delighted even with supermarket berries. I don't wash them until right before I'm going to eat them--otherwise, they got soggy. I eat strawberries alone, or sliced in a spinach salad or even gussied up in the clever dessert recipe above. Follow the recipe and treat yourself by stuffing orange halves with strawberries and orange slices and topping them with an airy meringue.

Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.