Large grocery stores in South Korea are attracting customers with a series of exotic fruits such as Calypso mango and red kiwi that are sweet in hopes to continue the momentum of increasing interest in such products after success with Shine Muscat grapes.
Last month, E-Mart, the country’s top retailer, launched Australia-grown Calypso mango. The new mango variety has a thin skin to yield more flesh, but it was hard to find in Korea because it ripens quickly, meaning a short shelf life. To address the problem, E-Mart uses air transportation to ensure this product can arrive within three days, unlike other mangoes that are delivered usually on ships. E-Mart said it will sell Calypso mango for a week from Thursday reports pulsenews.co.kr
The grocery chain’s sale of the Calypso mango comes after its release of a premium blueberry variety called Eureka last September. The blueberry variety was popular because each berry is about 30 percent larger than that of regular blueberries and has a crispy texture. The first batches were sold out in some stores despite a 30 percent higher price. E-Mart said it plans to sell more than 10 varieties of strawberries, including Kingsberry and White strawberry.
Homeplus attracted customers this year with exotic fruits such as Green Yellow Peach and Black Boss Watermelon. Black Boss Watermelon also drew attention for its visual uniqueness with bright yellow flesh against the black skin, as well as high sweetness levels.
Homeplus continues to introduce new varieties of strawberries such as Janghee Strawberry, which is characterized by its sharp red color and elongated shape, and Vitaberry, which has a high content of vitamin C.
Lotte Mart plans to launch new varieties of Durihyang Strawberry and Highberry under an exclusive contract later this month. Durihyang Strawberry has a maximum sugar content that’s 40 to 50 percent higher than regular strawberry varieties. It boasts a unique refreshing scent and acidity that goes well with sweetness. Highberry is a new strawberry variety with the best-in-class hardness and can be stored for a long time.