I’m always excited for late March in Charleston, when the first flush of local strawberries arrives at farmers markets and grocery stores. But I was surprised (and intrigued) to see something a bit different while perusing Whole Foods recently. There, next to acres of the traditional variety, sat delicate containers of strawberries with a faint pink hue, nearly white, with pink seeds. Were these albino strawberries?

At first, I was totally smitten, because they were really, really beautiful to look at. Then, I worried they might be tasteless Frankenfruits. Finally, I wondered who in the world was growing these things.

It turns out that the batch I brought home (which smelled and tasted like traditional strawberries to my pedestrian taste buds) was grown by Astin Farms in Plant City, Florida. “White strawberries, or pineberries, were primarily found in Japan and other parts of Asia,” explains Paytin Astin, the owner of Astin Farms. “Plant breeder Dr. Vance Whitaker began developing the Florida Pearl variety in 2012. This variety was created through hybridization between descendants of Japanese white strawberries and red Florida strawberries. Eager to be among the first to grow them, we planted our inaugural crop in the fall of 2020.”

These “new” Florida berries, called Berry de Blanc, were bred to thrive in the heat and humidity and subtropical climate of the Sunshine State. They share the same Florida growing season as conventional strawberries, with harvesting beginning in late November and continuing through April (which means they debut a bit earlier than Charleston’s crops).

Some tasters detect a hint of pineapple-y flavor that sets these fair beauties apart, but alas, I did not. I did think they were less acidic than a regular strawberry. More mellow. And since we do a lot of what I call “snacking suppers” at our house, I used them on a charcuterie board on the porch and they were a hit with my seven-year-old (the ultimate test).

Astin, meanwhile, likes to use them in cocktails, and he says they make a crowd-pleasing surcee for hosts. “They are a great conversation piece, so whenever I go to an event, you can count on Berry De Blanc making an entrance with me,” he says. Foodies are also catching on and using them in interesting ways. For instance, I spotted this lemon curd, pâte sucrée, and Berry de Blanc tart developed by Julian Yao, an NYU accounting professor and professionally trained chef who often shares his creations on Instagram.

If you’re as curious as I was, seek them out across the South at Publix, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie, and other regional grocers. And let us know what you think!