Market Watch: A world of extraordinary flavors in specialty and exotic strawberries

The mild climate along California's coast enables its strawberry growers to dominate commercial production of this fruit; last year they accounted for some 88% of the nation's crop. For strawberry lovers, that's both a blessing, of abundance and reasonable prices, and a curse, because local growers are focused almost exclusively on varieties suited to industrial production. Compared with other states where local sales predominate, California strawberry breeders prioritize firmness and long shelf life, often at the expense of flavor.

By David Karp, Special to the Los Angeles Times

April 16, 2010