Winter Fruit: Strawberries!

Best Winter Fruit: Strawberries!

The strawberries that are grown in Japan are different varieties than those grown in my home country (U.S.A) and are super large and super sweet! Whereas American strawberries are grown in fields, Japanese strawberries are grown in elevated beds in vinyl greenhouses. This means that they are clean (no touching the soil) and are harvested earlier, in winter rather than in mid-spring.

Although you can get strawberries at the grocery store or market, the BEST way to eat them is freshly picked. Some greenhouses offer an all-you-can-eat session, which is usually about \1,200~\1,500 for about 45 minutes in the greenhouse; and/or there is a pick-and-take-away option in which the price depends on the amount of strawberries you pick (determined by weight).

Whether you buy them in the store or at the greenhouse, Japanese strawberries really cannot be beat for sweetness. But don't wait, thinking that they will be cheaper later in the year--they simply won't be available, so get them while you can (now!) in winter.

I'm not familiar with greenhouses in & around the Tokyo area, but just to show a few examples, here are links to a couple of places in Okayama prefecture.

South Village Farmer's Market:
http://www.southvillage.jp/0101ichigo/

Yasuhara Strawberry Farm:
http://01415.net/

No-maru Farm:
http://www.noumaru.jp/ichigo.html