There was a time when strawberries tasted different.
Ask anyone who grew up picking berries from a garden or local farm and they will often remember the fragrance first. Before a strawberry ever reached the table, its aroma filled the air.
As strawberries became a global crop, breeders faced new priorities. Fruit needed to travel farther, last longer, and withstand transportation. Large size, consistent appearance, and durability became increasingly important traits.
At the same time, growers, chefs, and horticulturists continued searching for varieties prized for flavor and aroma.
In the early 1990s, French breeders developed Mara des Bois, a strawberry created by crossing modern garden strawberries with aromatic alpine varieties. Their goal was to create a strawberry with exceptional fragrance and flavor.
The result quickly gained attention.
Mara des Bois became known for its intense aroma and complex flavor profile. Notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, and rose are often associated with the fruit. Today, it remains one of the most celebrated strawberries among chefs, pastry chefs, and specialty growers.
The berries themselves are smaller and more delicate than many commercial varieties. They require careful handling and are often selected for their sensory qualities rather than their ability to withstand long journeys.
What makes Mara des Bois fascinating is that the people developing it were not searching for an unfamiliar flavor.
They were searching for a familiar one.
The goal was to recover the fragrance that had made strawberries memorable in the first place.
That story stayed with us while creating this month's June Club collection.
June's full moon is often called the Strawberry Moon, a name that originated with several Indigenous peoples of North America to mark the season when wild strawberries were ready to harvest. It signaled a moment in the growing season when fruit had reached maturity and was ready to be gathered.
The Strawberry Moon marks a season of ripening.
Fruit reaches maturity.
Gardens become abundant.
What has been quietly growing begins to reveal itself.
This month's ritual explores the tension between what we know and the uncertainty created by what we cannot yet see. Much of our attention is often pulled toward the future. We imagine possibilities, outcomes, and unanswered questions.
The senses have a different relationship with time.
A fragrance can bring us back to a specific place in an instant.
A taste can reconnect us with a memory we did not realize we still carried.
Mara des Bois is often described this way. Its aroma arrives before the first bite, and for many people that scent feels surprisingly familiar.
Perhaps that is part of its enduring appeal.
As you experience this month's collection, consider the questions woven throughout the June ritual:
What do I already know to be true?
What is already blooming that wants expression?
Can I trust what is still becoming?
Where am I stronger than I realize?
What wisdom have I already earned?
The Strawberry Moon arrives at a moment when nature offers its own response.
The season does not rush the fruit.
It allows it to ripen.
As you enjoy this month's collection, pause before the first bite.
Notice the fragrance.
Notice what surfaces.
Notice what has been there all along.
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