Fruit fool derive it from the French verb "fouler" meaning "to crush" or "to press" (in the context of pressing grapes for wine), but this derivation is dismissed by the "Oxford English Dictionary" as baseless and inconsistent with the early use of the word. Originally, the most common fruit ingredient in fools was gooseberries, although other fruits and berries are known from early recipes, e.g., apples, strawberries, rhubarb and raspberries. Modern recipes may include any seasonal fruit readily found, but gooseberry fool remains the perennial favorite. Norfolk fool is an old local variation of the fruit fool which seems to treat the
Fruit Belt Fruit Belt Fruit Belt is a term in the United States for an area where the microclimate provides good conditions for fruit growing. Fruit Belts are prominent around the North American Great Lakes region, notably West Michigan (Fruit Ridge) and western Northern Lower Michigan in tandem, and the southern shore of Lake Erie. The conditions that produce a micro-climate favorable to fruit cultivation are the same that produce lake-effect snow; therefore, Fruit Belts and snowbelts are often concurrent. The map at right shows Great Lakes snowbelts which cover a somewhat larger area than the fruit belt. Notably, there are no