The Secret Behind Japan’s Delicious Strawberries

Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry mochi. Strawberries à la mode. These may sound like summertime delights. But in Japan, the strawberry crop peaks in wintertime — a chilly season of picture-perfect berries, the most immaculate ones selling for hundreds of dollars apiece to be given as special gifts. Japan’s strawberries come with an environmental toll. To recreate an artificial spring in the winter months, farmers grow their out-of-season delicacies in huge greenhouses heated with giant, gas-guzzling heaters. “We’ve come to a point where many people think it’s natural to have strawberries in winter,” said Satoko Yoshimura, a strawberry farmer in Minoh, Japan.

tips

Strawberry shortcake：草莓酥饼

Strawberry mochi：草莓麻糬

Strawberries à la mode：草莓加冰淇淋

delight：高兴；惬意；美味

crop：产量；农作物

chilly：寒冷的；冷淡的；不友好的（chill 寒冷的；windchill 【医】吹风降温）

berry：果酱

immaculate：无污点的；纯洁的；整洁的；无污染的

apiece：就每个而论；每个的

toll：通行费；代价

Japan’s strawberries come with an environmental toll：日本的草莓以环境为代价

delicacy：精致；娇弱；佳肴（delicate 精致的；美味的；易碎的；虚弱的）

guzzle：狂饮；暴食；狼吞虎咽；耗（my car guzzles fuel 我的汽车很耗油）