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says lots of root vegetables are growing in popularity. ese include beets because of their health bene ts and parsnips because of their increased use by chefs.
“Flavorful Brands partners with Bejo Seeds to create products that result in the highest-quality produce lled with avor for consumers who will be reintroduced to great everyday produce,” says Lindley.
Other vegetables Flavorful Brands spe- cializes in through its partnership with Bejo Seeds are onions, shallots, radishes, rutabaga, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, fennel and celeriac.
Je Trickett of Bejo Seeds says many of these vegetables are traditionally popular in northern regions, where they are used during the winter when there is a lack of local vege- table production.
“Root veggies typically can be stored for quite some time, so in winter you can have veggies to eat from storage,” says Trickett.
DISCOVER RADISHES
Radishes are a fairly common root vegeta- ble and often are featured in salads. But these crisp, delicious and healthy root vegetables can be featured in many ways.
“ e overall ‘eating for a better health’
According to Natasha Licthy at Love Beets, “There are always individuals who claim they don’t like beets because of a bad childhood dinner table memory, but then are incredibly shocked to nd out they do actually like them now, when they try our products.”
trend encompasses all vegetables and pro- motions about eating all the colors, and that includes red items,” says Je Walker of TC Marketing, Inc., headquartered in Napoleon, OH. TC Marketing is a full-service fruit and vegetable brokerage that works with farms to grow and package the Tem-Cole and Top Class radish brands.
Walker says radishes have been on an up- ward trend in recent years, and that’s some- thing retailers can take advantage of.
“Make sure they are displayed alongside
other staple items that are commonly associ- ated with radishes,” he says. “Radishes are not a ‘stand-alone’ commodity. ey are part of the meal, or an ingredient, if you will.”
WHO’S BUYING THESE ROOTS?
Capote says the customer base for J&C’s root vegetables is tied to certain demographics. “I would say 20-30 years ago, they were cen- tered around Caribbean and Hispanic custom- ers in major cities around the country, New York, Miami and in the Northeast,” he says.
ere have been changes, especially with yucca becoming more mainstream. Also im- portant, he says, is the Asian demograph- ic, with those customers often coming from Asian countries in tropical environments.
Raley’s Schutt says consumers who focus on plant-based diets are seeking alternatives to tra- ditional proteins to meet their nutritional needs.
“Root vegetables o er the avors and density to satisfy those needs,” says Schutt. “ e foodservice industry has also become the proving ground for many of these less- er-known items, driving customers who typ- ically dine out into stores looking for a turnip to add to their mashed potatoes or roasted parsnips for their artisan pizza.”
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