“Aaah yes, ah that’s the first”, purrs Colette, on the Périgueux market. In front of her, the first gariguettes of the yearfrom Périgord of course: “It’s not like Spanish strawberries from the supermarket!”exclaims the retiree. “It’s the taste of spring, the colors on the market”, “the holidays”says another gentleman attracted by the beautiful red fruits.
Three trays of 16 trays
These come from Journiac. But strawberries from Périgord, we already find some that come from Bugue, Vergt, and even Atur. In the village of Boulazac-Isle-Manoire, we are at the end of Strawberry Country. “But here, we have a microclimate”ensures the producer Alain Teilletfrom the farm of the same name.
This year, the strawberry is not so late. Sometimes it’s the first week of March. This year he has harvested the first Thursday, March 17. Three trays of 16 trays, all sold, or almost, from the first day in direct sales.
“The very first for my grandson”
His first strawberries are the ones he planted last. There are few, the production is limited. Plants placed under a double-tunnelto make them ripen faster and have more heat: “But often the first ones are bigger”. It works without artificial heating, “in any case, given the price of gas, it wouldn’t be worth it”smiled the farmer.
Each year, he reserves the very first tasting for the family, straight into the tunnels, barely picked. It’s tradition: “The very first one is for my grandson”, still quite young. It is he who kicks off the spring.