A Brief Look at the Terrifying History of the Modern Strawberry

They’re found in everything from Jello to cocktails to breakfast cereal, but strawberries weren’t always such a prevalent staple of the modern American diet. As this recently published video from The Center for Investigative Reporting illustrates, the fruit’s popularity can be traced back to the end of World War I, when the U.S. government suddenly found itself with a stockpile of unused tear gas. Watch below to see how the deadly gas quickly lead to the implementation of one of the most controversial farming techniques in the world (as well as one of the most popular flavors of Pop-Tarts).

For more on this story, visit cironline.org/strawberries.