6 ms·

The fight to save Chile's white strawberry

109 points by ofou 2y ago

alach11 2y ago
I was surprised to learn that this is different from the similar-looking Pineberry [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineberry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineberry
- ethbr1 2y ago
  The pineberry is probably a reselection of genes from the pre-hybridized upstream chiloensis. Essentially re-evolving similar characteristics in the child hybrid. Although I'm guessing the pineapple flavor is new?
  - hn_throwaway_99 2y ago
    > Although I'm guessing the pineapple flavor is new? No, TFA talks about the pineapple aroma of the Chilean white strawberry, as well as a comparison to the pineberry, at length.
pikminguy 2y ago
Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved. I mean I don't want the species to go extinct but I didn't get the sense that was a risk. Is it somehow better than the hybrid strawberry that came back from Europe?
- ethbr1 2y ago
  Given the widespread planting of garden strawberry hybrids commercially, I'd expect they'd eventually push out the native cultivar without intentional planting. As for dangers, looks like: - Lack of rail connectivity - Climate change reducing snow - Climate change drought
  - pikminguy 2y ago
    But that's back to a conservation issue which the article didn't raise at all. I agree that the species shouldn't go extinct but I don't know if I care how much it's being farmed. As for the dangers you raised those are all real problems but none of them are specific to this plant.
    - ethbr1 2y ago
      Aren't there unique extinction concerns when a commercial hybrid is being aggressively farmed nearby a native species? Not my field, but I'd assume the risk of cross-pollination and eventual accidental hybridization of the native species is high. As you're essentially re-planting pure hybrids, but the native species is having to seed and grow generations normally.
  - dheera 2y ago
    Chile would be an ideal country to have a high speed rail link going down the whole country. You'd need effectively just 1 rail line to connect everything, the country is inherently 1-dimensional. Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina, though I guess nature might appreciate the largely untouched conservation zone that separates Patagonia from the north.
    - Phrodo_00 2y ago
      > Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina, Not that weird. The country pretty much becomes an archipelago + ice field south of Coyhaique.
    - bruckie 2y ago
      1-dimensional? I think you forgot the Z dimension. Its mountains are world famous.
      - ethbr1 2y ago
- cryptonector 2y ago
  The white strawberries I've had (dunno if they're Chilean though) are really awesome tasting. They should be saved for that reason, for one, but also because variety is a good thing. Perhaps we will get new varieties just because this one is available at all.
- jrflowers 2y ago
  > Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved. This article is not an appeal to you as a reader to save the white strawberry business. It is an article on a website that makes money promoting travel and as such is not written so that the reader is in charge of the future of the fruit.
- jerojero 2y ago
  It's much bigger than the cross breed variety. And it's sweeter as well. I think the market is simply one of unusual niche fruits, it's probably something the Chilean government itself needs to create. Ultimately the main problem is that climate change is affecting the natural production of the fruit so if there's no commercial interest for it and the government doesn't care about the cultural importance of it; then it's bound to disappear and that would genuinely be a big loss (at least I'd consdier it a big loss) for cultural and biodiversity reasons. But I think this problem is genuinely one that needs to be confronted by the Chilean government. It could become a luxury product if you target Asian markets for example.
robg 2y ago
Costco has had these recently as pineberries. So maybe they are at-risk in Chile but not at-risk of being cultivated elsewhere. As for the taste, like a mix of strawberry and pineapple. Solid but not worth the added cost over strawberries.
- what-is-water 2y ago
  It's not the same. Taken from the article: > In the U.S., pineberry goes by the name “hula berry” and made waves after appearing (in plant form) in stores like Home Depot and Walmart. > Like the garden strawberry, however, both of these fruits are a Fragaria x ananassa hybrid. They’re not the pineapple-scented fruit from Chile
steve_adams_86 2y ago
I’d love to propagate these via tissue culture for local nurseries but I can’t even seem to find seeds anywhere near me. If anyone has a line on some of these I’d love to hear. I can find many similar varieties of chiloensis but not this one.
- dendrite9 2y ago
  Do you have any advice for this or for identifying why certain strawberries are different? My partner and I have found small patches of small delicious white strawberries in the forest but I tried saving some seeds without any success. There's also a short route in the Cascades with a variety of strawberries that appear to be the same species but change in flavor at various patches from piney, to slightly coconut-y, to concentrated strawberry essence (hard to describe unless you eat fresh wild strawberries) All the patches are at similar elevations and orientations within about 1-2 miles, the most likely explanation I can think of is that the soil is different? I think they are Chiloensis but I plan to go back next year and look more carefully. Finding strawberries in the woods has ruined store bought berries for my partner. Even farmers market berries are questionable because of the varieties they grow, which I understand, they have a business with different needs.
  - xeromal 2y ago
    You know what's interesting? I watched a video the other day, maybe max miller?, about strawberries in europe and they used to only be able to be gathered in the forest as you say and were never conducive to agriculture. Once the big strawberries were discovered in the new world, they cross bred them but they lost a lot of flavor but could be grown. I never even considered wild forest strawberries but I want to try one now. If you're ever in california and have money to burn, try harries berry's. They are tiny little delights and VERY tasty
    - throwup238 2y ago
      I strongly recommend going out to collect the wild strawberries (and wild bilberries!) if you’re ever visiting Europe when they’re fruiting. They’re one of the things I miss most about living in Europe. Even the best California strawberries picked ripe off the vine don’t come close. Once in a while one of my local Russian restaurants or grocery stores will have wild strawberry jam imported from Europe. Usually $15+ a bottle and I buy out every single one they’ll let me (my favorite store now sets aside half the stock for me). They make the perfect gift too.
stickfigure 2y ago
I'm disappointed not to find a description of their taste. The best I'm getting is "pineapple-like fragrance", which is an intriguing start. Is it sweet? Tart? Bitter? Or does it taste like garden strawberries, just looks different?
CSMastermind 2y ago
My brain read this as Chile's the restaurant and "white strawberry" as some kind of cocktail. The actual article is far more interesting.
- Loughla 2y ago
  For the longest time as a child I thought a chiles was just something that existed in airports. I have no idea why my brain worked like that.
hinkley 2y ago
Fragaria chiloensis grows natively on the West Coast of the US and it is not white. There may be a naming inaccuracy here. I have about 150 square feet of the damned things. From twelve starts. They sure like to self-propagate.
- Aloisius 2y ago
  Different subspecies/forma. The Chilean frutillas blancas are F. chiloensis ssp. chiloensis f. chiloensis. They also also have red ones though, F. chiloensis spp. chiloensis f. patagonica. The native Beach strawberries to the US west coast are F. chiloensis ssp. pacifica, though F. chiloensis ssp. lucida from Canada were introduced.
- dendrite9 2y ago
  I think I have seen white chiloensis in the Washington Cascades. The fruits are small, pinky nail sized. Next summer I'll go back and try to get a better ID.
magni- 2y ago
> Ask about the frutilla blanca anywhere else in Chile and people blink their eyes, bewildered, especially if they’re under the age of 40. When I studied in Chile a decade ago, everyone knew about this. They were quite proud of being part of the origin of the modern strawberry. I never did find any white strawberries myself though. Also, Frézier's name is amusingly a homonym of the name for the strawberry plant in French (fraisier), and not only that, but etymologically comes from the word for strawberry itself (https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lepoint.fr%2Factualites-sciences-sante%2Fl-espion-qui-ramena-sa-fraise%2F1055%2F0%2F268153#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%...)
klausa 2y ago
White strawberries are also somewhat popular in Japan — does anyone know if it's the same variety?

109 points by ofou 2y ago

I was surprised to learn that this is different from the similar-looking Pineberry [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineberry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineberry

ethbr1 2y ago
The pineberry is probably a reselection of genes from the pre-hybridized upstream chiloensis. Essentially re-evolving similar characteristics in the child hybrid. Although I'm guessing the pineapple flavor is new?
- hn_throwaway_99 2y ago
  > Although I'm guessing the pineapple flavor is new? No, TFA talks about the pineapple aroma of the Chilean white strawberry, as well as a comparison to the pineberry, at length.

pikminguy 2y ago

Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved. I mean I don't want the species to go extinct but I didn't get the sense that was a risk. Is it somehow better than the hybrid strawberry that came back from Europe?

ethbr1 2y ago
Given the widespread planting of garden strawberry hybrids commercially, I'd expect they'd eventually push out the native cultivar without intentional planting. As for dangers, looks like: - Lack of rail connectivity - Climate change reducing snow - Climate change drought
- pikminguy 2y ago
  But that's back to a conservation issue which the article didn't raise at all. I agree that the species shouldn't go extinct but I don't know if I care how much it's being farmed. As for the dangers you raised those are all real problems but none of them are specific to this plant.
  - ethbr1 2y ago
    Aren't there unique extinction concerns when a commercial hybrid is being aggressively farmed nearby a native species? Not my field, but I'd assume the risk of cross-pollination and eventual accidental hybridization of the native species is high. As you're essentially re-planting pure hybrids, but the native species is having to seed and grow generations normally.
- dheera 2y ago
  Chile would be an ideal country to have a high speed rail link going down the whole country. You'd need effectively just 1 rail line to connect everything, the country is inherently 1-dimensional. Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina, though I guess nature might appreciate the largely untouched conservation zone that separates Patagonia from the north.
  - Phrodo_00 2y ago
    > Weirdly enough, there aren't even roads connecting the southernmost part of Chile to the north without taking a detour through Argentina, Not that weird. The country pretty much becomes an archipelago + ice field south of Coyhaique.
  - bruckie 2y ago
    1-dimensional? I think you forgot the Z dimension. Its mountains are world famous.
    - ethbr1 2y ago
cryptonector 2y ago
The white strawberries I've had (dunno if they're Chilean though) are really awesome tasting. They should be saved for that reason, for one, but also because variety is a good thing. Perhaps we will get new varieties just because this one is available at all.
jrflowers 2y ago
> Maybe I'm the problem but I didn't see anything in this article that communicated why the white Strawberry business should be saved. This article is not an appeal to you as a reader to save the white strawberry business. It is an article on a website that makes money promoting travel and as such is not written so that the reader is in charge of the future of the fruit.
jerojero 2y ago
It's much bigger than the cross breed variety. And it's sweeter as well. I think the market is simply one of unusual niche fruits, it's probably something the Chilean government itself needs to create. Ultimately the main problem is that climate change is affecting the natural production of the fruit so if there's no commercial interest for it and the government doesn't care about the cultural importance of it; then it's bound to disappear and that would genuinely be a big loss (at least I'd consdier it a big loss) for cultural and biodiversity reasons. But I think this problem is genuinely one that needs to be confronted by the Chilean government. It could become a luxury product if you target Asian markets for example.

robg 2y ago

Costco has had these recently as pineberries. So maybe they are at-risk in Chile but not at-risk of being cultivated elsewhere. As for the taste, like a mix of strawberry and pineapple. Solid but not worth the added cost over strawberries.

what-is-water 2y ago
It's not the same. Taken from the article: > In the U.S., pineberry goes by the name “hula berry” and made waves after appearing (in plant form) in stores like Home Depot and Walmart. > Like the garden strawberry, however, both of these fruits are a Fragaria x ananassa hybrid. They’re not the pineapple-scented fruit from Chile

steve_adams_86 2y ago

I’d love to propagate these via tissue culture for local nurseries but I can’t even seem to find seeds anywhere near me. If anyone has a line on some of these I’d love to hear. I can find many similar varieties of chiloensis but not this one.

dendrite9 2y ago
Do you have any advice for this or for identifying why certain strawberries are different? My partner and I have found small patches of small delicious white strawberries in the forest but I tried saving some seeds without any success. There's also a short route in the Cascades with a variety of strawberries that appear to be the same species but change in flavor at various patches from piney, to slightly coconut-y, to concentrated strawberry essence (hard to describe unless you eat fresh wild strawberries) All the patches are at similar elevations and orientations within about 1-2 miles, the most likely explanation I can think of is that the soil is different? I think they are Chiloensis but I plan to go back next year and look more carefully. Finding strawberries in the woods has ruined store bought berries for my partner. Even farmers market berries are questionable because of the varieties they grow, which I understand, they have a business with different needs.
- xeromal 2y ago
  You know what's interesting? I watched a video the other day, maybe max miller?, about strawberries in europe and they used to only be able to be gathered in the forest as you say and were never conducive to agriculture. Once the big strawberries were discovered in the new world, they cross bred them but they lost a lot of flavor but could be grown. I never even considered wild forest strawberries but I want to try one now. If you're ever in california and have money to burn, try harries berry's. They are tiny little delights and VERY tasty
  - throwup238 2y ago
    I strongly recommend going out to collect the wild strawberries (and wild bilberries!) if you’re ever visiting Europe when they’re fruiting. They’re one of the things I miss most about living in Europe. Even the best California strawberries picked ripe off the vine don’t come close. Once in a while one of my local Russian restaurants or grocery stores will have wild strawberry jam imported from Europe. Usually $15+ a bottle and I buy out every single one they’ll let me (my favorite store now sets aside half the stock for me). They make the perfect gift too.

stickfigure 2y ago

I'm disappointed not to find a description of their taste. The best I'm getting is "pineapple-like fragrance", which is an intriguing start. Is it sweet? Tart? Bitter? Or does it taste like garden strawberries, just looks different?

CSMastermind 2y ago

My brain read this as Chile's the restaurant and "white strawberry" as some kind of cocktail. The actual article is far more interesting.

Loughla 2y ago
For the longest time as a child I thought a chiles was just something that existed in airports. I have no idea why my brain worked like that.

hinkley 2y ago

Fragaria chiloensis grows natively on the West Coast of the US and it is not white. There may be a naming inaccuracy here. I have about 150 square feet of the damned things. From twelve starts. They sure like to self-propagate.

Aloisius 2y ago
Different subspecies/forma. The Chilean frutillas blancas are F. chiloensis ssp. chiloensis f. chiloensis. They also also have red ones though, F. chiloensis spp. chiloensis f. patagonica. The native Beach strawberries to the US west coast are F. chiloensis ssp. pacifica, though F. chiloensis ssp. lucida from Canada were introduced.
dendrite9 2y ago
I think I have seen white chiloensis in the Washington Cascades. The fruits are small, pinky nail sized. Next summer I'll go back and try to get a better ID.

magni- 2y ago

> Ask about the frutilla blanca anywhere else in Chile and people blink their eyes, bewildered, especially if they’re under the age of 40. When I studied in Chile a decade ago, everyone knew about this. They were quite proud of being part of the origin of the modern strawberry. I never did find any white strawberries myself though. Also, Frézier's name is amusingly a homonym of the name for the strawberry plant in French (fraisier), and not only that, but etymologically comes from the word for strawberry itself (https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lepoint.fr%2Factualites-sciences-sante%2Fl-espion-qui-ramena-sa-fraise%2F1055%2F0%2F268153#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%...)

klausa 2y ago

White strawberries are also somewhat popular in Japan — does anyone know if it's the same variety?