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It's interesting to note that in the 16th century, strawberries were not the plump, oversized fruit we see in grocery stores today. Instead, they were much smaller, comparable in size to blackberries, yet possessing a distinctly sweeter flavor. These wild strawberries flourished in wooded areas and were aptly described in Old English as “streawberige,” leading to the modern name we know today. In fact, the German word for strawberry, “erdbeere,” translates to "earth berry," echoing the fruit's humble origins.