Forgotten vegetables become less forgotten

Forgotten vegetables. A few years ago many consumers would never have heard of these - or had forgotten them - but nowadays they are hot. Will we continue to call these vegetables 'forgotten' now that they are more well known? "I don't expect we will change that name very quickly," says Guy Jennes of BelOrta. "People find the name interesting. It gives it something authentic, from the past. These were the vegetables our ancestors ate. We don't want to lose that."

Also at discounters
Many Belgian retailers have products such as parsnips and beets in their assortment as a standard. "The volume is also increasing annually, these vegetables are becoming more 'common'. Even among discounters who are known for their 'basic' assortment, celeriac and beets are finding a place on the shelf. This shows their growing popularity. The forgotten vegetables are consumed every week like lettuce and tomatoes, but the advanced vegetable eaters and foodies like to look further than the standard products. "There are few real 'rarities' left." He says the purchasing threshold isn't that high. "These vegetables are generally sold for acceptable prices, depending on the supply. They are almost never very expensive."

Autumn
"Radish, artichoke, beets, salsify, kohlrabi and turnips are the main forgotten vegetables. Autumn is a period where these vegetables are particularly popular. Usually it is also colder weather in which these vegetables are consumed more. In the autumn more stews are made in Belgium. The game season starts then too, so the forgotten vegetables end up on the table, both among consumers and in catering. Besides those forgotten vegetables the real winter vegetables such as celeriac are also popular. They all fit into the same sort."

Partially organic
A large number of the forgotten vegetables are now also available in an organic variation at BelOrta.

For more informaiton:
Guy Jennes
Belorta
Mechelsesteenweg 120
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
T +32 (0)15 56 52 94
F +32 (0)15 56 53 60
M +32 (0)478 24 73 09
guy.jennes@belorta.be
www.belorta.be