For the third year in a row, Special Fruit brings the Calinda variety on the European market. “It is a tasty Spanish spring strawberry. They are distinguished by their unique characteristics, which other strawberry strains do not have around this time of year. For example, Calinda has a good shelf life, a deep red colour and a sweet and juicy flavour,” says Sarah Hellemans from Special Fruit.
More cultivation areas
Currently Calinda is cultivated in Spain and Portugal, and volumes are increasing. “The faith in this variety is such that last year, Special Fruit invested in more cultivation areas in new regions, full-time cultivation support and a new innovative 400-gramme packaging. The sustainable aspect of the strawberry was also thought of. Our ambition is to cultivate the strawberry with a ‘zero residue’ certification in the near future, under the guidance of Zerya’s specialists. Additionally, an organic version of the Calinda strawberry is also available.”
Europe responds enthusiastically
Sarah indicates that Calinda is mostly sold in Scandinavia, the UK, Austria, Germany and Luxembourg. “It is a premium strawberry, and is also marketed in that manner. The responses from Europe are enthusiastic, and we expect a good season. Our customers can enjoy this strawberry from mid-January to the end of May. With Foodpairing – an online tool for flavour combinations – Special Fruit produced an original recipe which is slightly more savoury that the well-known sweet flavour. Basic ingredients are tomato, Parmesan, basil and of course Calinda.”
For more information:
Special Fruit NV
Sarah Hellemans
sarah.hellemans@specialfruit.be
+32 (0)3 317 06 67