Strawberries

By Wendy Zhang

The first time I had a real strawberry was four years ago at Massaro Farms, a small New England organic farm in my hometown. Unlike bananas, peaches, and apples, a strawberry’s growth is stunted the moment it is picked. Most strawberries are ripped from their beds before maturity, so that their delicate flesh can withstand long journeys. Even if their skin is fully red, their cores are marred with streaky white scars. I used to think this was normal.