If you've tasted a strawberry recently, there's a good chance it came from California.
That's where 90 percent of strawberries in the U.S. are grown.
What you might not know is the role Japanese immigrants played in growing and popularizing strawberries in the U.S.
On the Season 11 premiere of Proof, the flagship podcast from America's Test Kitchen, reporter Hannah Kirshner traveled to Watsonville, Calif., a two-hour drive south of San Francisco. She tells the story of how Japanese-Americans—through their resilience—used ingenuity to turn strawberries from a seasonal fruit to one that's available year-round.
Listen to this episode here, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
If you'd like to learn more about this subject, we recommend a few sources:
Sign up for the Dinner Tonight newsletter!
Weeknight cooking inspiration, curated and written by longtime ATK author and editor (and avid home cook) Jack Bishop.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
The key to this dessert’s bright flavor—plump, uncooked berries—can also be its soupy downfall. But how do you firm up the filling without making it gluey and dull-tasting?
Get the RecipePhoto: GomezDavid, Getty Images