French gourmet strawberry "Gariguette" - The French queen

Imagine yourself strolling through Provence on a sunny May morning, with the scent of freshly picked strawberries hanging in the air. That is exactly the feeling you are bringing home with the "Gariguette". In France, it is a legend, revered by gourmets worldwide as the undisputed queen of strawberries. Anyone who has tasted a true Gariguette knows: this is not just fruit, it is a culinary event.

Scope of delivery: Per plant in a 7cm pot.

A taste that awakens longing

What makes the Gariguette so special? It is its incomparable elegance. Its fruits are not just round, but beautifully elongated and glow in an intense red. When you bite into the tender, juicy flesh, a true taste explosion awaits you: an intense aroma that strikes the perfect balance between delicate sweetness and refreshing acidity. It is the pure, unadulterated strawberry flavor one yearns for all year round.

The exclusivity of the moment

The Gariguette is not a run-of-the-mill strawberry – it is a true connoisseur's variety. As a single-cropping variety (non-remontant), it concentrates all its energy into one single, spectacular appearance per year.

• The golden May: This is its time! In May, it reaches its full aroma and perfect quality.

• Short season, great pleasure: Its harvest time is precious and short. While in Southern France (e.g., in Lot-et-Garonne or Provence) it sends the first signs of spring starting in March thanks to protected cultivation, it usually disappears from shelves by mid- to late June. But it is precisely this limitation that makes it so coveted.

Origin with tradition

Its home is the sunny south of France. There, the Gariguette has been prized for generations and guarded like a state secret. With this plant, you are bringing a piece of the French lifestyle and top-tier gardening culture directly into your own garden bed or onto your balcony.

Tips for your garden

Since the Gariguette gives "everything in one go," it is perfectly suited for you if you want to enjoy the full abundance in early summer – whether for exquisite desserts, fine jams, or simply for snacking directly. When the mass-market varieties take over in mid-summer, the queen has already done her duty and leaves behind a lasting memory of her unique flavor.

Treat yourself to something special! Bring the French queen into your garden and experience why the world feverishly awaits the Gariguette season every year anew.

Homage à la Gariguette: Strawberry Carpaccio with Orange Blossom & Pistachio

This recipe celebrates the delicate aroma of the fruit. A composed dessert that captivates through its clarity.

The exquisite ingredients

• 400g Gariguette strawberries: Carefully selected and evenly sized.

• 1 tsp orange blossom water: (Eau de fleur d'oranger) – Be careful with the dosage; it should be just a distant memory of a garden in the south.

• 1 tbsp finest powdered sugar: For gentle glazing.

• 1 tbsp green pistachio kernels: Unsalted and finely chopped (for color contrast and a delicate crunch).

• Fresh lemon balm: Only the smallest heart-shaped leaves for decoration.

Preparation (with care)

1. The preparation: The strawberries are not simply cut, but shaved or sliced into wafer-thin longitudinal slices. Arrange these in a fan shape, slightly overlapping, on flat, ideally white plates.

2. The refinement: Mix the orange blossom water with the powdered sugar and about two tablespoons of still mineral water until an almost clear, thin essence is formed.

3. The glazing: Brush the strawberry slices very lightly with this essence. The fruits should just gleam, not swim in it.

4. The accents: Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the center of the plate like fine emerald dust. Place three to four tiny lemon balm leaves as an aromatic counterpoint.

5. The rest: Let the plate rest for 5 minutes at room temperature so that the flavors can form a liaison.

A discreet hint: A drop of a very old, viscous balsamic (25 years+) would round off this dish, but it is not a must if the Gariguette is at its peak ripeness.