Strawberries, a tasty Belgian export product

04/06/2020

We are familiar with the classical list of culinary highlights. What many do not suspect is that the strawberry also belongs here. In terms of export volume, Belgium has traditionally scored highly in world rankings for this quality product.

Who wouldn't like to bite into such a juicy, fully ripened, perfectly tangy strawberry? You used to have to be patient all year, until late May / early June, to be able to enjoy this delicacy. Nowadays, it is available all year round.

Of course, the cultivation method varies from season to season. In summer, the fruit ripens in the open field and in the open air. The leaves of the strawberry plant convert the abundant sunlight into sugars, which explains the extra-sweet taste. Plastic tunnels are suitable in spring and early autumn, while in winter they can only be cultivated under lighting in warm greenhouses. The Belgian market offers five full-fledged varieties, Elsanta being the most prominent, with different nuances of colour and taste.

But regardless of the type of cultivation and the variety, the two main Belgian production centres, namely the Flemish Hoogstraten and the Walloon Wépion, always deliver a shiny red, flawless, firm, well-formed and juicy range. Decades of knowledge, skill, experience and experimentation guarantee this.