"Sweet Palermo has been grown in Spain for more than 15 years"

The sweet pointed pepper Sweet Palermo was officially introduced in 2014 as an innovation in the bell pepper segment. “The variety Palermo RZ had already been growing in Spain for more than 15 years. To make the product more distinctive, the project Sweet Palermo was started three years ago,” says Victor Cegarra, chain specialist from Rijk Zwaan Spain. The most important production countries for Sweet Palermo are Spain and the Netherlands. Additionally, it’s also grown in Italy, Brazil, Germany and Australia, on a smaller scale.

From 200 to 500 hectares
Volumes in Spain have grown over the years. Rijk Zwaan was at the Macfrut in Rimini with a special Sweet Palermo stand. “The product is known in Italy, but not everyone knows the applications. That’s why Rijk Zwaan Ibérica had a promotional stand during the Macfrut. You can do so much with Sweet Palermo. People in Southern European countries such as Italy or Spain mostly use bell peppers to cook traditionally, or to grill. For example, they don’t know it also tastes great in a salad! Responses were positive.”

Compared to other bell peppers
The Sweet Palermo doesn’t just have a different shape, it also tastes much sweeter than the regular bell pepper. “An independent panel from Wageningen University compared the flavour of Sweet Palermo to that of other sweet pointed peppers. The Sweet Palermo is significantly different when it comes to sweetness, bitterness, fruitiness, aroma, and the thickness of the skin. Sweet Palermo is less bitter than other (pointed) bell peppers. The special vegetable is sweeter, juicier, and has more aroma. Besides, Sweet Palermo contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange.”

For more information:
Rijk Zwaan Ibérica
T: +34 950 62 6190
Victor Cegarra Sanchez
Ctra. Viator, s/n. Paraje El Mami
04120 La Canada
Ameria - Spanje
v.cegarra@rijkzwaan.es
www.rijkzwaan.es