MANILA, Philippines — I have always associated strawberries with the color red. In fact, if you ask me to name a fruit that is red, strawberries would be my hands-down answer, not apples nor cherries, not even dragon fruit. Only recently did I “discover” that not all strawberries are red.
There are white ones, too. In all my years of existence, funny how I just learned about white strawberries. I first knew of it through Chef Gino Gonzalez’s Facebook post when he went to Baguio with his wife, Chef China Cojuangco-Gonzalez, and their two daughters, Lucia and Alexa, for a vacation.
White strawberries are now being sold at the Baguio wet market, which is where everyone goes when visiting the City of Pines. Then I did my research and, along the way, found other friends talking about white strawberries, too. Then all of a sudden, online sellers of premium and imported fruits begun offering white strawberries. They are packed carefully in small quantities and sold at equally premium prices.
White strawberries are suddenly trending. But what exactly is all the fuss about them?
White strawberries are also called pineberries. They are rare, non-genetically modified (GMO) hybrids that come with white or pale pink skin instead of the usual red of regular strawberries, and their seeds are reddish although others are still golden. They taste like strawberries that have been “fused” with pineapple or peaches, and they have a tropical fruit aroma. This is because they are a hybrid of Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana that are selectively bred but not genetically modified.
They are cultivated in various countries, such as Japan and The Netherlands, and are now being grown in the Philippines, particularly in Benguet, home of luscious red strawberries.
Local farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet, have begun cultivating white strawberry varieties, such as “Snow White” and “Milky Way,” although in limited quantities only. Success in the local production of white strawberries was showcased during the annual La Trinidad Strawberry Festival, which explains why and how Filipinos have caught on with the trend.
Considered rare and premium, white strawberries turn out to be smaller in size and lower in yield when cultivated because they are more delicate than red strawberries. They also have a shorter shelf life compared to regular red strawberries. This explains why white strawberries are more expensive than red ones. One of the most expensive variants is the “White Jewel” of Japan since they are grown in limited quantities in the Saga Prefecture.
Why are these strawberries white? The reason is that they lack the protein required to turn red when ripe.
And why should you eat white strawberries when you can have red strawberries any time — and at a lower price, too? Well, white strawberries happen to have a higher antioxidant content. They are loaded with immune-boosting Vitamin C and heart-healthy nutrients, such as potassium and fiber, and boast of a low acidity level.