Contest : Seasonal fruits of my country.

@abdul-rakib

In the area of ​​Italy where I live, millions of years ago there was the ocean and many active volcanoes: today there are very green hills made up of very dark soil, which has colors ranging from red, to brown, to black, made fertile by the biological sediments of ancient plants and marine creatures and by mineral substances from the bowels of the Earth, brought outside through the incandescent magma that came out of the volcanoes. You should know that on this extraordinary soil it is possible to grow grapes that are very tasty, sweet, sugary and rich in vitamins. Grapes are harvested from mid-August until almost the end of October and in supermarkets it is possible to find them fresh between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The rest of the year they can be purchased dried. Much of the grapes grown in my country are transformed into wine.

Immagine di vwalakte su Freepik

Italian wines are among the most prized, expensive, appreciated and widespread by consumers all over the world. Italian wine is excellent for drinking, but also for cooking: the most popular wine-based recipes are risotto all'amarone and braised beef in Barolo. Dried grapes are used to prepare sweet recipes, such as raisin rolls, and savory ones, such as the famous Sicilian pasta alle sarde.
There are many varieties of grapes in Italy, suitable both for the production of wines and for consuming the fruit alone; as for grapes to be consumed as fruit, here they can produce varieties with a particularly sweet and intense flavor and others that are more acidic and crunchy; furthermore, there are variants without and with seeds. Italian grapes, due to the variety of types and their organoleptic qualities, are exported in large quantities abroad and this market is reaching a turnover that is close to one billion euros.
I am very happy that the production and sale of Italian grapes and wines is going well, because viticulture is a sector that brings employment and wealth to my country.
However, grapes are not my favorite Italian fruit. Every year, personally, I eagerly await the strawberry season, which runs from April to July.
Strawberries are very sweet, easy to eat and have many health benefits. For example:
– they are antioxidants and fight inflammation and aging;
– they are rich in water, so they help you pee and prevent water retention,
protecting the health of the urinary tract;
– even if they have a sweet taste, they are low in sugar, so they do not make you fat;
– they contain xylitone, a substance that protects your teeth.

Foto di Pierre-Antoine Caisso: https://www.pexels.com/it-it/foto/pane-cibo-frutta-fragola-4562968/

At this time of year I am eating a lot of strawberries, to enjoy all the benefits of this fruit and above all because the sweetness and color of strawberries makes me so happy! I often eat them natural, for breakfast and as a snack. I also make some excellent jam, adding a few pieces of apple, to spread on bread.

Foto di ROMAN ODINTSOV: https://www.pexels.com/it-it/foto/pane-cibo-in-legno-dolce-6534617/

Last week I used strawberries and whipped cream to enrich a chocolate pudding that I made at home with cocoa powder, soy milk and a little cornstarch to thicken the mixture! Strawberries with cream and chocolate are really delicious!
So I can only advise you to eat real strawberries in the way you prefer and to abandon all those industrial foods "with a strawberry flavor" that have nothing to do with the goodness, consistency and sweetness of real strawberries!
Thanks for reading my post!