Mara des bois (French: Mara of the forest) is the best strawberry variety found in our country. In 1990, a French strawberry breeder named Jacques Marionnet set out to create a strawberry to rival the wildest of the woods. Four heirloom varieties, Gento, Ostara, Red Gauntlet and Korona were selected as parents based, not on their ease of growth or high yield potential, but rather for their individual strength of character. Each contributes a layer of flavor or texture to their unique offspring, the Mara des Bois. The combination of flavors and textures of this hybrid is not one that will satisfy every palate. Those accustomed to large berries with firm, watery flesh or the overwhelming sweetness of strawberry jam should look elsewhere for their ideal. The Mara des Bois offers a rare balance of sweetness and acidity, the musk of wild strawberries and succulent, red-orange flesh that spreads across your palate like buttery ambrosia. The berries range in size from that of a chick pea to that of a walnut and each berry, regardless of size, exhibits this unique aromatic profile.