Until recently, access to exotic citrus fruits in Europe was much more unreliable. Products such as finger lime, yuzu, or calamansi were available, but rarely at the time and in the way that was needed. The seasons didn't match with consumption times, the logistics were slow, risks were high, and freshness was relative.
"Today, without any big headlines, this reality has started to change," says Pedro Juárez, Director of Nalans Citrus. "And it is doing so in an unexpected location, with European farms adapting their cultivation systems, their varieties and their vision to a new, closer, more controlled and technical way of working," he says.
© Nalans Citrus
"A couple of years ago, sourcing finger lime in summer was impossible without assuming delays or quality problems. Today, we receive it in two days from Spain with surprising regularity thanks to the Nalans Citrus service," says a purchasing and distribution manager for the Horeca channel in Belgium.
Summer as a real window and not as a limitation
"For years, working with finger lime in summer was practically synonymous with shortages or excessive risk. The product could arrive, but it was hard to plan ahead, with long routes and a fragility that complicated its use in high turnover campaigns," says Pedro Juárez.
According to the Director of Nalans Citrus, growing these citrus fruits in Europe has allowed what used to be unthinkable: a reliable supply throughout the summer season, with fresh fruit harvested on demand that travels for days, not weeks, and which is integrated into simpler and safer logistical structures.
"We work with hotels that change the menu every month in summer. We can only offer fruit if we know it will arrive fresh and the supply will be stable," says a German importer specializing in gourmet products. "Now this is also possible with finger lime."
"Exotic is no longer synonymous with unstable"
According to the director of Nalans Citrus, this change is not about trends or volume; it has to do with the way the professional channel manages its value portfolio. Exotic citrus used to be perceived as an extra; now it is starting to become a differentiated line with its own purpose.
"What has changed is that there is finally a basis on which to build that value reliably. You can count on a stable supply. You can offer freshness without having to take on high loss margins. You can meet specific orders when there is a lot of demand, even in August, when it is often very hot, without compromising quality and traceability, which results in a richer gastronomy. We are working to ensure reliability doesn't depend on the time of year," says Pedro Juárez.
© Nalans Citrus
It is not about offering more fruit, but about doing so in a new way
According to Juárez, the real transformation is not in the varieties but in how they are managed. From the technical production in the field, adapted to each species, to the format, transport, and documentation, everything is designed so that the product flows without friction within Europe, allowing operators to work with such products without having to assume the logistical or regulatory costs of imports from distant suppliers.
"We seek value fruit, not just for its taste, but because it makes operational sense. European yuzu from Nalans, besides having a good profile, fits smoothly into our EU flows," says an import coordinator from a central purchasing office in the Netherlands.
Exotic citrus production in Europe is still limited
"Exotic citrus cultivation on European soil is still limited. It doesn't seek to compete in terms of volume, but in relevance. But that is precisely where its strength lies: in being a small category with the capacity to respond effectively. Adding value, not complexity," says Pedro Juárez.
"The operators that are already incorporating it are not doing so on a whim, but because it's allowing them to offer something different, with stable margins, fewer incidents, and an increasingly relevant origin story," he says.
"In the gourmet retail, we need stories, a good product, and a consistent supply. A unique fruit with traceability, in August, with no arrival issues, is exactly what was demanded from us," says the innovation manager of a premium supermarket chain in Italy. "And it is in the summer, precisely when everything seemed more difficult, that this change is beginning to become a noticeable reality."
For more information:
Pedro Juárez
Nalans Citrus
Tel.: +34 609 31 51 70
[email protected]
www.nalanscitrus.com
