Summer brings one thing to mind. Strawberries.

Okay, in reality that comes second to sleepy beach days.

From NYC to The Hamptons, strawberry desserts have been taking over last courses since late Spring.

Bergdorf provided a special menu listing items testing for their new eatery. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

MoMA’s Terrace Cafe put a bite into their strawberry shortcake. It was really a “cream puff” which made it a bit hard and flaky like a scone. The vanilla ganache was as fresh as table-side guacamole. Bergdorf’s BG Restaurant served up a traditional version with spongy cake layers. This was on their specials menu for a limited time to test out recipes for their new lower level eatery, Café Ginori.

Cake desserts are traditionally anti-Summer body, but these fruits actually serve a body good.

If you don’t want cake and a cream topping to get in the way of those Vitamin C-packed strawberries, then Round Swamp Farms has the most delicious berries out East. We like packing some up for a day at the beach or on bikes.

THE $CIENCE

One half cup of strawberries contain a little more than 30 calories, nearly 600mg of polyphenols, and up to 60mg of anthocyanins. The ellagic acids may be neuroprotective and anti-carcinogenic. Pelargonidins can also be effective anti-inflammatories. Hydroponically grown strawberries have a higher content of Vitamin C than those grown in soil. However, that depends on the variety, soil health and growth environment. By late Summer, Albion strawberries have the most amount of Vitamin C when they are organically grown.

MoMA’s Terrace served up a strawberry cream puff with vanilla ganache. It was a refreshing version of the traditional strawberry shortcake. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

Brain No Drain

Strawberry extract from the Romina variety decreased the buildup of Alzheimer’s-causing beta-amyloid proteins. In worms. So, if your pet worm is forgetting how to be wormy, sprinkle them with strawberry phenols.

Fat Mi Arse

Strawberries will not replace Ozempic results, but they have been shown to reduce obesity due to their high water content. Aside from H2O, strawberries are loaded with other vitamins and micronutrients that help lipid processing. Eating them may metabolize the bad fat (white) from the accompanying cake. In worms.

It’s in the Genes

Isn’t it a bore when strawberries go bad after the 1st day? While the folate in Albion strawberries remains the same, the Vitamin C content decreases to about 80% after 1 week despite refrigeration. Food science is working to remedy that. Anthocyanin content can be used to check the ripeness of strawberries because they peak near ripening. The redder the strawberry, the more anthocyanins and ready to eat they are. The combination of proanthocyanidins, malic and citric acids give strawberries their quintessential flavor and healthy texture. This is partly due to the ability to resist stressors. Scientists are also researching how to use the gene-modifying method CRISPR/CAS to subvert the decomposition process.

Bergdorf Goodman’s upper level restaurant served a traditional strawberry shortcake. This was a tasting of what may be served at there new beauty level cafe, Ginori. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

Berrily Ayurvedic

Characterized as a “heating” fruit, strawberries are said to help anemia by Ayurvedic findings. Apparently, these berries are beneficial only when quantities are restrained. We have not experienced stomach aches, as noted by Vasant Lad, but we also cannot eat more than 10 in one sitting. A 2022 study partly done by the Ayurveda department at Banaras Hindu University found that mixing strawberry juice with moringa was nutritive to children and women. The profilin protein content, high level of anthocyanins and the pollen-like allergen gibberellin (Fra a GRP) are linked to the allergic reaction some people have to strawberries and may help explain the reasoning behind some Ayurvedic theories.

Bottom Line

If you’re not a shortcake type of person, then the Trader Joe’s strawberry muffins are gluten-free and delicious. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

When are restaurants going to tell us where they get their strawberries from and how much of the good chemistry they have? Until then, have a berrylicious summer!