Growing up in Karachi in the 1990s, it was unthinkable for most of us to have access to fresh strawberries. All one came across were artificial strawberry flavours and essence, which were generously used in chocolates, biscuits, ice creams, desserts, jams, jellies and custard, to name a few convenience products.

Pushcart fruit vendors selling strawberries were unheard of and only a lucky few would find fresh strawberries at any of the handful of supermarkets that existed in the city in those days.

To our family’s delight, my father would sometimes purchase a can of strawberries from the then-renowned chor bazaar, a flea market where smuggled items were also available. The only fresh strawberries that we were exposed to in those times were the ones we saw being consumed on television. It is no surprise, then, that these factors added to our eagerness to not only consume fresh strawberries, but also to grow them.

Fast forward to the 2020s and, during its fruiting seasons, different sizes and varieties of strawberries are available at bargain prices throughout Karachi and across the country. A host of different berries, including strawberries, are being grown across Pakistan, especially in........

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