The 'queen of fruits' is how the mangosteen is also called because of its fresh-sweet taste and appearance. On the underside of the fruit is a crown. The number of sides of this shows how many segments the inside contains. This exotic fruit grows mainly in Southeast Asia and South America. "We have very stable availability of the product from different origins, which allows us to provide our customers with a year-round product," says Dion van Vliet of Yex.
© Yex (Best Fresh Group)
"This year, the fruits from Indonesia are very large because the season was somewhat delayed on almost all islands due mainly to heavy rainfall. Normally, an average fruit weight is +/- 80 grams, but we now see the biggest volume in 120 grams+," says Dion, who has just returned from his visit to the Indonesian suppliers. "An impressive visit. It's always cool to speak to the growers and see the cultivation with your own eyes."
Yex's main markets for mangosteen are European foodservice and retail. "We see demand increasing throughout the year and notice a lot of consumer interest and curiosity in this product. Many consumers even call it the tastiest fruit there is; therefore, more and more consumers are tasting mangosteen," says Dion.
© Yex (Best Fresh Group)
"Although this exotic fruit is very popular with consumers, it remains a niche product. This is mainly due to the relatively high price of the fruit. A large part of the cost is in the transport to Europe," says Dion. "At Christmas, we expect good demand, both from customers and consumers. So this would be the perfect period to introduce the exotic to every shelf. Here we are, happy to help!"
"Besides mangosteen, we have a number of small exotics, such as kaffir limes, rambutan, carambola, kiwano, salak, and maracuja. These products are very popular during Christmas, as consumers like to surprise and put something special on the table!"
For more information:
Dion van Vliet
Yex
Tel: +31 6 12 54 66 03
[email protected]
www.yex.nl
