French Gourmet Strawberry 'Gariguette' - The French Queen

Imagine strolling through Provence on a sunny May morning, and the scent of freshly picked strawberries fills the air. You can bring exactly this feeling home with the “Gariguette”. In France, it's a legend, revered by gourmets worldwide as the undisputed queen of strawberries. Anyone who has tasted a true Gariguette knows: This isn't just fruit, it's a culinary event.

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

A taste that evokes longing

What makes the Gariguette so special? It's her incomparable elegance. Her fruits aren't just round; they are beautifully elongated and glow with an intense red. When you bite into the delicate, juicy flesh, a true explosion of flavor awaits: An intense aroma that strikes the perfect balance between fine sweetness and refreshing acidity. It's the pure, unadulterated strawberry taste you crave all year long.

The exclusivity of the moment

The Gariguette is not an ordinary strawberry – it is a true connoisseur's variety. As a single-cropping variety (non-remontant), it concentrates all its energy on a single, spectacular appearance each year.

• Golden May: This is her time! In May, she reaches her full aroma and perfect quality.

• Short Season, Great Enjoyment: Her harvest time is precious and brief. While in Southern France (e.g., in Lot-et-Garonne or Provence), protected cultivation means she sends the first harbingers of spring as early as March, she usually disappears from shelves by mid to late June. But it is precisely this limitation that makes her so coveted.

Origin with Tradition

Her home is the sunny south of France. There, the Gariguette has been valued for generations and protected like a state secret. With this plant, you bring a piece of French lifestyle and the highest gardening culture directly into your own bed or onto your balcony.

Tips for your garden

Since the Gariguette gives "everything in one go," she's perfect for you if you want to indulge in abundance in early summer – whether for exquisite desserts, fine jams, or simply for fresh snacking. When the mass varieties take over in mid-summer, the queen has already done her duty and leaves behind a lasting memory of her unique taste.

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

Homage to the Gariguette: Strawberry Carpaccio with Orange Blossom & Pistachio

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

The exquisite ingredients

• 400g Gariguette Strawberries: Carefully selected and uniformly sized.

• 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water: (Eau de fleur d'oranger) – Be careful with the dosage, it should only be 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 leaves for decoration.

Preparation (with care)

1. Preparation: The strawberries are not simply cut, but sliced or shaved into wafer-thin longitudinal slices. Arrange them fan-like and slightly overlapping on flat, ideally white plates.

2. 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. Glazing: Lightly brush the strawberry slices with this essence. The fruits should only gleam, not swim in it.

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

5. Resting: Let the plate rest for 5 minutes at room temperature so the flavors can mingle.

A discreet hint: A drop of a very old, viscous balsamic vinegar (25 years+) would round off this dish, but it's not a must if the Gariguette is fully ripe.