'Strawberry of love' goes viral on social media and boosts profits for confectioners and producers

The "love strawberry" craze on social media has generated a direct positive impact on the profits of confectioners and strawberry producers in Atibaia, in the interior of São Paulo. Known as the National Strawberry Capital, the city produces around 3,000 tons of the fruit per year. Videos with recipes, trends, and memes featuring the strawberry-inspired candy, starring both anonymous individuals and celebrities like Fábio Porchat, have already accumulated millions of views. The success has boosted demand for the dessert in fairs, confectioneries, and food events. Confectioner Izabella Maciel (see video above) felt the direct impact of the "hit." Just in the last two weeks, demand for the candy has increased significantly in the store she runs in partnership with her mother. With over 13 years of experience in confectionery, Izabella had to make quick adjustments to meet the demand. "We started production about six days ago, and our goal is to reach 1,000 units sold by the end of ...