Alright, I’ll admit it: I may be a hard-core Francophobe (for reasons that I’m not really clear on; probably my one patriotic American action), but damn do the French know what to do with fruit.

In America, I am apt to search despondently down aisle after aisle in the grocery store for 100% cranberry juice (or grapefruit juice, or orange juice, or…). In France, you just wander down any aisle with fruit juice in it.

They also make yoghurts that have more fruit than sugar (and some truly bizarre yet tantalizing flavors; grapefruit yoghurt, anyone?). Add to this the extreme number of pastry shops with little bundles of raspberry-loaded joy, and you’ve got a culture that knows what to do with fruit. My dad has been practicing French with a French woman (who is practicing her English), and we were invited over to their house. Desert? A huge bowl of strawberries and raspberries. (Cue heavenly music and lights here.)

Sit up and take notice, US! Fruit actually tastes great without adding a bunch of sugar to it!