"Guy Claessens: "Supply and demand for crosnes rises"

"Peeled Gieser Wildeman increasingly popular"

The Gieser Wildeman pear is a typically Autumnal product. "Sales begin from October until the end of December," explained Guy Claessens from Claessens wholesale. "From January sales sharply fall, they are still available but their use decreases. In the Autumn this pear is often served with game dishes and also during the Christmas holidays. The pear is not ideal for normal eating unless they have been ripened for a very long time."

Peeled Gieser Wildeman also very popular
Guy indicates that the main customers for these cooking pears are restaurants. "It is a very classic product which is popular and tasty with wild game. The grainy white fruit is very tasty. After cooking for a long time the fruit turns redder, and this is often strengthened by using wine." According to the trader they are still loved fresh and sell well. "We also supply peeled pears in a red wine sauce and in recent years these have become very popular and I think making them more accessible to kitchens has shown how easy they are to work with. Within the hospitality sector there are also more qualified staff who rely on buying 'semi-prepared' products. Peeled pears are mainly purchased by the hospitality industry, but they are also popping up more and more in supermarkets and retail outlets, although in smaller packages! Apparently the public love them too."

There is very little difference in price between the fresh and peeled pear. "The fresh ones tend to follow the market price, but the peeled ones are sold at a fixed price for the season. This is also very handy when calculating food costs within the restaurant sector. The Gieser Wildeman prices are normal this year if not better than last year, when there was less harvest and therefore higher prices."

Crosnes
Another product which appears in the Autumn are crosnes. "These are nutritious tubers from Japan and China. Crosnes are often referred to as the Japanese potato. This speciality has been cultivated in France for several years and is also available in Belgium. The earthy flavour is reminiscent of artichoke or salsify. Preparation is simple: for the best results just briefly fry in butter or olive oil."

"Crosnes are used mainly by up market restaurants, although they are increasingly desired by home chefs. A few years ago the product was totally unknown but we are now seeing demand and supply rise on the markets. Crosnes are not very cheap because they are very small so it is hard to get the volumes. Prices vary but they are more popular than before because more are being cultivated. We usually buy this product from France but we have seen them more recently appearing in our Belgian auctions."

For more information:
Guy Claessens
Groothandel Claessens
St Pieterszuidstraat 37
8000 Brugge
Tel: +32 (0)50 310 130
Fax: +32 (0)50 310 133

Horeca Markt
Cash & Carry
Jacob van Arteveldestraat 3
8000 Brugge
www.groothandelclaessens.be
brugge@groothandelclaessens.be

Publication date: Fri 29 Nov 2013