What Makes White Strawberries Special?

Strawberries are widely recognized for their delicious taste, adorable color, and versatility. From classics like strawberry shortcake to fresh twists on favorites, including roasted strawberry and basil lemonade, there are so many ways to love and enjoy strawberries. While nearly everyone likes these berries, what most people don't know is that there is more than one type of strawberry out there.

Meet the white strawberry, a variety of strawberry that lacks or is low in the protein that causes regular strawberries to turn red. These berries look exactly like normal strawberries except they are white with red seeds. On top of its different appearance, some white strawberries also have a more tropical taste and are sweeter, too.

Although many consider redness to be a key indicator of strawberries' ripeness, white strawberries can be perfectly ripe and delicious without the signature red hue. They also taste great in all kinds of strawberry recipes, like strawberry butter. If you see them in the store, pick them up and give them a try for yourself.

The protein that makes most strawberries turn red as they ripen is known as Fra a1. White strawberries have extremely low amounts of this protein; sometimes, they lack it entirely. White strawberries may turn a light shade of blush pink at peak ripeness due to very low amounts of this protein, while other times they will remain purely white throughout.

There are several varieties of white strawberries out there, each with their own varying degree of color, or lack thereof. The pineberry is one of the most popular and relatively recognized species, made from crossing a Japanese white strawberry with a regular red Florida strawberry. This variant is mainly grown and sold in Japan, often with a luxury price tag as the fruit is considered a unique novelty item.

Pineberries are the most popular type of white strawberry in the United States but there are other types too. Other popular white strawberry variants include the Alpine strawberry, native to Europe, and the Beach strawberry, native to the Pacific coasts of North and South America. Each white strawberry variant has its own umbrella of varieties underneath it as well, each bearing the unique white flesh and slightly pineapple-like taste.