I recently went on a journey to Europe to compare strawberry prices, taste, and color to their American counterparts. My last video on this topic garnered 1 million views, with many insisting that European strawberries taste better, are fully red inside, and are non-GMO. I had to see if it was true for myself and provide my audience with as much data as possible on my low budget research endeavor.
There are No GMO Strawberries in the Market
Firstly, it’s essential to note that there are no GMO strawberries on the market. Only ten GMO crops are produced in the US, and strawberries are not among them. These GMO crops are:
- Alfalfa
- Apples
- Canola
- Corn
- Cotton
- Papaya
- Potatoes
- Soybeans
- Squash
- Sugar beets
European Food Supremacy?
Many influencers claim European fruit is superior—a notion I call “European food supremacy.” So I tasted it and I added my results below.
I bought strawberries from Aldi and other local supermarkets in the UK and US during the same week in June 2024. I converted the prices to 454 grams for a fair comparison. One noticeable difference was the smaller UK packages compared to the typical American ones, making the UK strawberries seem more affordable. The UK Aldi berries were quite small but appeared very red inside.
Results
I wanted to have a similar data point in both countries, so I went to Aldi and a few other local supermarkets in both the UK and the US. I collected all my data during the week of June 10, 2024. I also had to convert all of my data collection to 454 grams and into dollars for a fair comparison.
United Kingdom, England (Bought in London area)
- Aldi (Staffs, UK)
- Price: £1.09 for 227g; converted to £2.18 for 454g; $2.75
- Taste: Not very flavorful, slightly sweet, subtle strawberry taste, slightly bland, not tart
- Appearance: Small berries, very red inside, bright red outside
2. M&S (UK)
- Price: £3.20 for 300g; converted to £4.84 for 454g; $6.11
- Taste: Not tasted, only the price collected
3. Tesco Express (Gloucestershire, UK)
- Price: £3.45 for 300g; converted to £5.22 for 454g; $6.59
- Taste: Flavorful, juicy, not overpowering
- Appearance: Some whiteness in the middle, medium-sized berries, bright red
4. Sainsbury Express (Essex, England)
- Price: £2.45 for 250g; converted to £4.45 for 454g; $5.62
- Taste: Juicy, no tartness, perfectly sweet
- Appearance: Some whiteness in the middle, medium-sized berries, bright red
United States (Bought in Washington, DC area):
- Aldi (Florida, USA)
- Price: $1.91 for 454g
- Taste: Tart, sweet, crisp, juicy, varied flavor, some watery
- Appearance: Some whiteness in the middle, medium-sized berries, bright red
- Giant USA (California, USA)
- Price: $4.03 for 454g
- Taste: Very juicy, slightly tart, very sweet, bold flavor, robust taste
- Appearance: More red inside, some whiteness in the middle, medium-sized berries, bright red
Analysis
One noticeable difference was the smaller UK packages compared to the typical American ones, making the UK strawberries seem more affordable but when you convert the amount by weight, the American ones are usually a bit cheaper.
Upon comparing the strawberries, I found that the Giant USA berries tasted better overall, with a more robust and flavorful profile.
The prices of strawberries in the US Aldi were also generally cheaper than those in the UK. I found the UK Aldi berries were quite small and unenjoyable to eat but the inside appeared very red.
I did want to add something about the UK packaging, once you open it, it was hard to close and store and it made it difficult put into the fridge.
Conclusion
If you prefer sweet strawberries with no tartness, you’ll enjoy British strawberries. If you prefer strawberries that are more robust with a bit of tartness, you’ll like the US strawberries. If you prefer sweet strawberries with no tartness, you’ll enjoy British strawberries. If you prefer strawberries that are more robust with a bit of tartness, you’ll like the US strawberries. If you want to learn more food science facts check out my post about chocolate blooming!
