It's officially strawberry season in France and these ads for the highly prized gariguette variety from the town of Plougastel in Brittany are everywhere in the metro. (That's a traditional Breton bonnet on the strawberry.) You will pay 20 euros or more per kilo for these babies., and I can tell you that I am far too cheap to be able to tell you whether they're worth the premium. Those less serious about their fruit can pay in the neighborhood of 1 to 3 euros per box (about a quart) depending upon the part of town where you make your purchase. And believe me, those are still pretty darn good.
5 comments:
Fraise + Breizh = Freizh!! One of the things I really love about the French is how clever they are with their jeux de mots.
I think we tried those strawberries last year while we were visiting friends in Nantes. Perhaps they are cheaper in the provinces. Only problem is, that I didn't understand enough French to know how spectacular they are so I didn't enjoy them the way I should have.
Luckily, I'm not much of a lover of strawberries.
Do it. Splurge. Get them! Get a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, too, while you're at it and indulge in them together. You'll remember having done that in Paris FOREVER!
I'm visiting France at the moment, and when I saw these in the stores I knew I had to try them. I paid 3.50 euros for 250gm - really not a burdensome price. The berries are about the size of small American commercial berries, and have a distinctive slender, pointed shape. As for the flavor - they were very good. Certainly better than American grocery store berries but they were not something I will remember wistfully or crave in the future. Those feelings remain with the strawberries I got from the Santa Monica farmer's market, which had low acidity and the most intense flavor I've ever encountered. So try a few, but be objective. It wasn't a peak event for me.
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