It's that time of year again: the world's best tennis payers are heading to England and the 2018 Wimbledon Championships are about to begin. From July 2- July 15, fans will get all dressed up to watch the tennis matches and eat strawberries and cream.
Even if you don't watch tennis, you will still like Wimbledon's best-known dish. Strawberries and cream is perfect for a hot summer day, and even if you can't travel across the pond to get the real thing, you only need two ingredients to make your own.
History
Strawberries and cream is the classic dish of Wimbledon, and has been since its inception. Wimbledon has been held annually since 1877 and Strawberries and cream have been mainstays ever since. Strawberries achieve their peak ripeness in late June and early July — just in time for Wimbledon. They are delivered fresh daily and are a refreshing snack on what can otherwise be a long, hot day watching tennis.
Although the royals have been known to attend center court matches at Wimbledon, the tournament is known for keeping its prices in-check to allow it to remain accessible to everyone. This is helped by the fact that prices, including the cost of Strawberries and cream, are subsidized and have remained cheaper than $4, despite inflation.
According to CNN, between 25 and 30 tons of strawberries were served during the two week tournament in 2015. Additionally, attendees ate over 1,800 gallons of cream. Each portion is traditionally served with 10 strawberries that have had their stems and hulls removed and is then topped with fresh cream and eaten with a fork.
Make Your Own
For those of us who are not attending Wimbledon this year, we can still enjoy their snack without sitting outside all day and politely clapping at appropriate times.
Making your own strawberries and cream dish is about as easy as it gets. Start with about 10 fresh, ripe strawberries, wash them and remove the stem and hull. Then find you fanciest bowl and pile them in.
To keep true to the fresh cream at Wimbledon, you can either make your own whipped cream, or opt for the lovely store-bought versions.
Finally, generously top your strawberries with the cream. If you need some additional sweetness, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Channel your inner Queen Elizabeth, grab a fork, and enjoy.
For other summer strawberries and cream-inspired dishes, check out 7 strawberry recipes.