I’m not sure when cherry became the default fruit flavoring, but there is a clear better choice: strawberry.
I guess I have to thank cherry for taking one for the team as the default flavor for medicine. But, more treats can and should opt for strawberry as their default flavoring. Really good fake strawberry flavor is creamy with just a hint of tartness—like the essence of strawberry shortcake ice cream. But it’s not just about tasting amazing. Strawberry goes above and beyond without even trying. Here’s how:
It Can Flavor ANYTHING
There’s a reason you don’t see cantaloupe-flavored sodas and candies everywhere you look (aside from Jelly Belly bags). Cantaloupe, along with plums and figs, is a B-list fruit. It’s just not adaptable. This is as opposed to strawberry, which translates so well artificially in practically any usage. Ice cream, cake, chocolate, even Oreos? I don’t think any other fake fruit flavor can boast such a positive track record. Would you eat fig-flavored marshmallows? I didn’t think so. Strawberry, however, can do as it damn well pleases! I mean, how sinfully pleasant does strawberry marshmallow fluff sound? And why am I only just now finding out about it?? Even companies that don’t specialize in sweets are quick to hop on the strawberry train (we see you and your strawberry and cream chips, Doritos). If strawberry can flavor a chip, it can work on anything.
It Needs No Gimmicks
The reason we aren’t familiar with flavors like blue strawberry is because, unlike fake raspberry, fake strawberry needs no assistance. It is already the best that it can be, it begins in its final form and it does not need any flashy marketing to make it more appealing.
It Plays Well with Others
Strawberry as a flavor is so good that it often carries other, less approachable flavors, in order to make them more palatable. Strawberry-kiwi, strawberry-banana, strawberry-grapefruit, strawberry-lemon, strawberry-battery acid (seriously, it makes anything taste better). These flavors might seem a bit too strong or off putting on their own, but strawberry is here to mask the abrasiveness (lemon) and uplift the boring (banana).
It’s a Proven Money Maker
Making strawberry only versions of things is the best thing that food manufacturers have done since redefining the food pyramid. Pink Starbursts, all-strawberry Welch’s fruit snacks, Strawberry Sour Patch Kids: these are just a few examples of companies knowing what their customers want––all strawberry, all the time. Every fruit flavor deserves some time in the sun, but should more companies go the way of Twizzlers in accepting that strawberry is the best flavor? Yes. Many, however, seem to be afraid, and only go as far as releasing a “mixed berry” version instead of committing to strawberry alone. Even Lifesavers realized the people crave strawberry when they decided to bring back their iconic Creme Savers in just two flavors—strawberry and orange—after they vanished for ten years. And most of the buzz following this release was all about the strawberry version, completely overshadowing orange.
In conclusion, strawberry is the MVP of the artificial fruit game. It carries its teammates. It makes touchdowns and scores homeruns and dunks on all the other flavors. And yet, versatile as it is, it’s still too often treated as the secret side piece. It’s time to commit.
