Hawke's Bay butternuts were the secret ingredient that helped Wattie's reign supreme in TV3's consumer-watchdog Target investigation to find the best pumpkin soup.
Production of Very Special Creamy Pumpkin soup is under way with the recent harvest of the last summer crop.
While they are at peak freshness, over 1250 tonnes ofHawke's Bay pumpkins were being turned into over one million cans of soup.
Ian Mackay, Wattie's product development manager, said butternut pumpkin was used because of its natural creamy texture, rounded pumpkin flavour and consistently bright colour.
He said that while pumpkins could be stored and used over many months, there was a risk they started to lose flavour, texture and sweetness.
"To get the very best quality we make this soup from fresh butternut," Mr Mackay said.
"You can't beat making this soup from a fresh ingredient which has a delicious taste profile."
High in antioxidants, carotenoids and fibre, butternut pumpkin was a very versatile vegetable and an ingredient in more than 20 of Wattie's products.
Wattie's Agricultural Manager Ivan Angland said the butternut crop was grown in Hawke's Bay as a rotation crop following tomatoes. Crop rotation ensured soil fertility and kept pests and diseases to a minimum.
The Target test said Watties' Very Special Creamy Pumpkin Soup became the winner by "combining the taste results with nutrition, pumpkin content and value for money."
