So Much From Something So Small

The mighty strawberry.  Most of us like them in shortcake, cheesecake, salads or other.  When I was younger, we used to love to climb the ski slopes in the summer to pick the wild strawberries growing there. 

Do any of us ever really take the time to think about them?  Where do they come from?  Why do we eat them?

Wild strawberries were eaten by our ancestors.  Then cultivated in Europe from two different varieties.  One from Chile and the other from Europe.  A marriage of two worlds.

They provide us with vitamin C, manganese, folate and other minerals our bodies need.

They were used as a symbol of Venus.  They were carved into altars and pillars symbolizing perfection.  Today they are used as a symbol for love because of their heart shape and red color.  

The Romans believed they are medicinal; easing kidney stones and melancholy among other symptoms.  I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that they are alkalizing and our bodies need a certain percentage of alkaline to avoid disease.

So much from something so small.