Exotic citrus fruits have found their niche in the European market, positioning themselves as gourmet products that have attracted the interest of the catering sector. With the start of the finger lime season in Spain, one of the European countries where the cultivation of this variety is possible, the companies working with it are facing a scenario marked by the inactivity of restaurants and the foodservice, which are important sales channels for these products.
Since 2016, the Spanish brand Nalans Citrus has been specialized in exotic citrus, with more than 300 varieties in its portfolio and operations mainly in Europe, in countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, but also in the United Arab Emirates.
“We are the fourth generation of a family of citrus growers in south-eastern Spain that had devoted itself to the production of traditional citrus fruits, such as lemons and oranges,” says Pedro Juárez, founder and commercial director of the company. “Nalans Citrus arose with the sole purpose of enriching our gastronomy, which is something we cannot achieve on our own. We believe in the people in all links in the chain who are inspired to work together to achieve the same purpose.”
Specific knowledge is essential for this company. Its founder told us that he travels several times a year to Italy, Japan and California in order to learn about new varieties and the latest production trends. Besides Spain, these three countries are also leaders in citriculture. “We are specialized in finding citrus fruits that are hardly available in the market. All of them are unique gourmet products, such as finger lime, shikwasa or yuzu, among others. The idea is to offer new flavors, textures and aromas to the market,” says Juárez. “Moreover, we link unique products to a gastronomic experience thanks to technology. The latest innovation is what we call Digital Cooking, which we have launched in this 2020 campaign.”
According to the manager of this firm, the most demanded exotic citrus fruits in Europe are finger lime (the company’s specialty), Buddha’s hand, yuzu, Sudachi and Calamondín, among others. Spain’s finger lime season is being extended. “In the past, its harvest went on for just three months, and now it can last up to five. Producers are getting to know the trees better and are working to achieve increasingly better results,” says Juárez. “By combining the Spanish production and imports from other origins, we can supply finger lime all year round,” he says.
“Our concern for the sustainable development of agriculture and the gastronomic sector in general has led us to see sustainability as a work philosophy. We understand that it must be present in all links of the value chain. In our case, we have three levels:
- Production. All our exotic citrus fruits are organic or zero waste.
- Packaging. Our packaging is 100% recyclable and plastic free.
- Logistics. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, most of the exotic citrus fruits are produced in Europe, thus promoting local production.”
Regarding the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the company’s activity, Juárez says that there were supply problems for certain products due to restrictions and the interruption of supply chains. “We were lucky, because the campaigns of many citrus fruits were already almost over, so we were not fully affected. Fortunately, there is now some return to the usual activities and we all have the responsibility to keep this pandemic at bay. Things will go back to normal with everyone’s cooperation.”
Fuente: FreshPlaza