OXNARD, CA - With Chinese New Year fast approaching, Asian greens are top of mind for those companies looking to capitalize on the latest Asian produce trends and the growing popularity of this holiday within the mainstream. It also doesn’t hurt that Chinese New Year falls on February 19th, while New Year’s resolutions for healthier eating habits are still in full effect.
Trending this year are top sellers that include:
- Baby Shanghai Bok Choy
- Baby Bok Choy
- Gai Lan
Garrett Nishimori, Marketing Manager and Corporate Chef, at San Miguel Produce, tells me, "Asian greens are easy to cook, trendy and offer consumers a way to maintain a healthy diet without sacrificing flavor and variety."
“The demand for Asian vegetables is rapidly increasing in the U.S. because of several factors, including burgeoning ethnic diversity in the population, increasing popularity of Asian cuisines, more emphasis on healthy foods, desire for more variety in the diet and increasing familiarity with their culinary use,” Garrett notes.
Some of the lesser known produce items that could make an impact this year are Yu Choy and Snow Pea Shoots, Garrett tells me, and San Miguel is tapping into the season’s promotional opportunities. During the weeks prior to the holiday, San Miguel will be offering promotions on both its bulk Asian greens and value-added Jade Asian greens program through a consumer e-mail campaign that should increase traffic for well-stocked retailers.
Let’s talk about health benefits. Bok Choy is currently ranked right behind Kale on the ANDI scoring system which has helped catapult the category to where it is today. Overall, many Asian greens rank high on the ANDI scale, making them the perfect addition to produce departments as consumers continue to look for versatility and great taste.
ANDI, or the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index, is a new and popular scoring system that rates foods on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. These scores take into consideration the item's range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities…all of which can be found in Asian greens.
