Pink Flamingo Oyster mushrooms are set to hit shelves at Farro. Photo/123rf
Pink Flamingo Oyster mushrooms are set to hit shelves at Farro. Photo/123rf
Kiwis cruising the produce section of the supermarket are in for a surprise as some odd fruit and veg including grapes the size of gobstoppers hit the shelves.
There is some excitement in the air at gourmet food retailer Farro, with some new additions set to join the usual suspects in February.
This included Pink Flamingo Oyster mushrooms, a native to the tropics and Indonesia, named for their vibrant colour.
"This is a delicious edible mushroom that's fantastic sauteed with other vegetables or added to pasta dishes or soups," said Farro marketing manager Petra Mihaljevich.
Autumn Crisp grapes are the size of gobstoppers. Photo/Supplied
Farro also hoped to get their hands on tayberries.
A cross between a raspberry and blackberry, the tayberry was first created in Scotland – its name a reference to the River Tay. The product is being trialled by a Kiwi grower.
The price of both products will be confirmed closer to the time.
"We're all about introducing new and exciting things so people can have amazing variety on their plate and try new things," said Mihaljevich.
"We're so lucky now in New Zealand to have local growers…experimenting with new things so we have more variety and the ability to offer that range to customers. It might not always be the new but just a different take on an old favourite or a heirloom variety."
The tayberry is a cross between a raspberry and blackberry. Photo/123rf
Foodstuffs has also delighted customers with two new grape varieties.
Autumn Crisp green grapes, which are the size of gobstoppers, landed in New World stores for the first time in November.
The crisp, sweet fruit was expected to be around for about a month.
A black grape called Adora, with a similar taste to the Autumn Crisp, have also been available at New World in the last few weeks, proving so popular they sold out.
Adora seedless black grapes. Photo/Supplied
"Old grape varieties have been superseded by these new varieties and there are more being developed all the time. All are seedless with a better taste than old varieties," said a Foodstuffs spokeswoman.
Foodstuffs also has a number of innovative products to spruce up your salads this summer, including pomegranate arils.
Save yourself the hassle of seeding a pomegranate by buying a punnet of ready-to-toss arils. Pomegranates not only taste great but contain powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Pomegranate arils. Photo/Jason Oxenham
And to add to the growing list, Countdown was set to stock peacherines early next year - a cross between a peach and a nectarine, with a softer, less furry skin.
