Edwin van Leeuwen and Mike Looije of Yex are visiting their pitaya suppliers in Vietnam. “It’s currently the rainy season, which means availability is low. Normally, the rainy season is over by mid to late October, and pitayas become widely available again. The pitaya is one of the exotic products that is very popular with consumers in the month of December. Besides its special appearance, it’s also very healthy and delicious. The flesh of the pitaya tastes like a fresh mix of watermelon and kiwi fruit, and is slightly sweet and low in calories. Besides Vietnam, we also get pitaya from Thailand and Israel, so that the exotic is available year-round.”
“Naturally, consumers have to know what pitaya can be used for. We support that by means of our consumer brand 'Discovered'. For example, we inform consumers it’s best to ripen pitaya at room temperature or in refrigerators for a few days, and that the exotic is ripe when the skin is pink and the leaves bright green. We also tell them pitaya tastes best when eaten fresh and cold. The flesh is perfect for in salads, desserts and cocktails, or as a garnish,” Edwin says.
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