I bet you didn't know there's a Strawberry Festival in France. Well, there is. May is strawberry month here in France and of course, to celebrate there is the strawberry festival, Fête de la Fraise.
Held on the second Sunday in May every year this festival is literally about strawberries.
In fact, it was at this festival in 2017 that they created the world's longest strawberry cake, fraisier pâtissier, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Five pastry chefs made many individual cakes and then lined them all up creating a cake that was just over 32 meters long.
Apparently, 200kg of strawberries were used to make the cake. And once judged successful, it was then cut up and sold to festival attendees with all the money going to charity.
🍓What is the Strawberry Festival, the Strawberry Festival?
The strawberry festival is a whole day dedicated to the small red fruits and strawberry producers of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne.
Now in its 30th year, it's a great way to promote the city and bring recognition to over 400 strawberry growers.
The main event is, of course, the baking of the giant strawberry pie, which is a sight to behold.
But on top of that, you have a bunch of stallholders selling everything you can think of, including strawberries as jam, smoothies, strawberry cheesecake and more.
There is entertainment for the whole family with circus workshops, parades, kit making, magicians, street entertainment, face painting and a competition for the best strawberry.
Entry is free and the setting of this beautiful medieval village on the banks of the River Dordogne is simply perfect.
🍓Did France really invent the strawberry?
Well, this one is definitely up for debate, but the French have claimed the strawberry as their own.
Although the small forest strawberry has existed in Europe since Roman times, the garden strawberries we know today did not exist.
In 1714, Amédeé François Frézier, a naval military engineer, was on a spy mission for Louis XIV, the Sun King.
The same king whose wife, Anne of Austria, brought chocolate to France.
In any case, Frézier was sent to the Spanish ports of South America and heard about some large white strawberries in Chile.
Bringing several plants back with him, he gave one to Antoine de Jussieu at the Royal Gardens in Paris.
But although they were large, they lacked perfume and flavor. Frézier referred to them as being "as big as a small egg".
So, the plant was then sent to Brittany, where it was crossed with Virginian and European forest berries.
Et voilà, the tasty, juicy strawberries we know and love today were created.
🍓 How strawberries developed in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Limousin, France 🇫🇷
The Dordogne region has always been known for its vineyards and has depended heavily on wine production.
However, in the 19th century, downy mildew and phylloxera struck the vineyards and the wine economy collapsed.
The strawberries had already blossomed under the shade of the vines, and the soil and climate were inclined toward good growth as well. Then, farmers in the region turned their attention to growing strawberries.
Now, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne has become the home of the strawberry with over 60% of France's strawberries produced here.
There are a few different varieties of strawberries, but probably the juiciest is the Charlotte, usually available between April and October.
🍓 Why are French strawberries so good?
The reason French strawberries are so good is thanks to France's ideal growing conditions, like impeccable soil quality and temperate climate, which nurture these berries to their irresistible perfection.
What is your favorite type of strawberry?