8 minute read
Australian and Asian vegetables
Arecent study funded by Hort Innovation has identified Australian indigenous and Asian vegetables which have the potential to be commercially viable.
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It also discovered those vegetables which hold the greatest appeal to Australian consumers and provides recommendations about what to do to have the greatest likelihood of success in the market. The project included a review of what we already know, a discussion with consumers, a survey to back up these ideas, some taste work, and a plan for opportunities and some recommendations. The project identified some commercially available Australian Indigenous vegetables and Asian vegetables that hold the greatest appeal to consumers; recommendations to increase purchase and consumption of these vegetables; and ideas to improve breeding programs and postharvest production to ensure greatest longterm market success.
3 CONSUMERS liked the crunchiness, health benefits, and refreshing flavour of Daikon.
As a result, growers can get a better idea about the size of the opportunity for Australian Indigenous vegetables and Asian vegetables and understand the ways that they can ensure the greatest return on their investment, and ultimately, profitability. Through this project, the research firm Colmar Brunton, was able to identify that there is a great opportunity and much potential around commercialising and expanding the distribution of both Asian and Indigenous vegetables in the Australian market. A large proportion of consumers are attracted to the idea of purchasing these unique vegetables. There were 20 vegetables evaluated in total (11 Indigenous vegetables, nine Asian vegetables).
Vegetable profiles
Table 1 outlines the findings from the research project in terms of a vegetable’s sensory profile, cooking styles that consumers would use the vegetables in and appeal of shelf life & storage methods.
Overall, key insights and recommendations
• Availability: The prevalence of these vegetables should be encouraged and facilitated in Australian food service and manufacturing based on relevant consumer trends of functional health, provenance and
Indigenous ingredients. This should lead to a greater consumer demand and broader availability in retail
TABLE 1 VEGETABLE PROFILES
Vegetable Sensory profile Cooking styles Shelf life/storage methods
Asian vegetable
Amaranth Consumers liked the nice taste, flavour, Sautéed with garlic and sesame oil, Consumers liked the similarities in (red spinach) colour and the look/appearance of red spinach. Some consumers however did not can also be blanched on its own. storage methods and shelf life to spinach. like the taste. Bitter melon Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 4* Choy sum Liked the crunchiness, taste, flavour, texture and of choy sum. Dislike the Added into stir fries with oyster sauce, or added with sesame oil and garlic. Short shelf life of up to three days does not appeal to consumers. chewiness/stringy element as well Expect to use in a similar way to as strong/lingering aftertaste of other leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, the vegetable. silverbeet, bok choy). Daikon Liked the crunchiness, health benefits, and fresh/refreshing flavour. The taste was Either poached or eaten raw in a salad. Consumers liked the long shelf life of several weeks. polarising. Gai lan Liked the colour, taste, flavour, texture and crunchiness of gai lan. Dislike the chewy/ Added into stir fries with oyster sauce, or added with sesame oil and garlic. Short shelf life of up to three days does not appeal to consumers. stringy element of the vegetable.
Indigenous vegetables
not appealing. flavour. Some consumers disliked the strong/ lingering flavours. considered it to be ‘too peppery’. least appealing aspects. Hairy melon Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 4* Lotus root Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers like that whole lotus root can stay fresh for up to two weeks inside the refrigerator. Okra Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Short shelf life of one or two days Wombok Liked the taste, flavour, crunchiness, Stir fried wombok with oyster sauce Consumers liked the longer shelf texture, and mouthfeel. Disliked the pale or sautéed wombok with garlic and life of five to seven days in the colour of the vegetable. sesame oil. refrigerator.
Acacia seeds Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers find the long shelf life of Australian Consumers liked the colour and Australian spinach used in salads. Consumers find the long shelf life (up spinach crunchiness. Texture and taste was polarising, whilst aftertaste was generally to two weeks) highly appealing. does not appeal to consumers. acacia seeds appealing. Bush tomatoes Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers find the long shelf life of dried bush tomatoes appealing. Finger limes Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers like that the fresh fruit have a shelf life of four to five weeks. Kulyu Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers liked the similarities in storage methods and shelf life to Lemon myrtle Consumers liked the aroma, taste, flavour, Baked in cookies/desserts, used in Consumers find the long shelf life of lemon flavour, sweetness and mild/subtle drinks (i.e. tea). lemon myrtle appealing. Native thyme Liked the colour/overall appearance, taste, Used as a direct replacement for Fresh or dried formats highly flavour, aroma and mild/subtle flavour. thyme (on chicken, potatoes etc.) appealing for consumers. Pepperberry Consumers liked taste, flavour, aroma and Direct replacement for pepper. Used Consumers find the long shelf life of peppery flavour. However, some consumers in gravies, on potatoes, curries etc. pepperberry appealing. Saltbush Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* Consumers find the long shelf life of Samphire Consumers liked the crunchiness, colour and appearance of Samphire. Chewiness, Samphire added into fresh salads or sautéed with butter. The short shelf life (‘best used fresh on the day of purchase’) of Samphire stringiness, taste and bitterness were the was unappealing. sweetpotatoes. Saltbush appealing. Youlk Did not proceed to Stage 5* Did not proceed to Stage 5* N/A * STAGE 1: Program Setup; STAGE 2: Knowledge Audit and Review; STAGE 3: Qualitative Sensory Exploration; STAGE 4: Quantitative Validation; STAGE 5: Sensory Exploration; STAGE 6: Action Plan
Naming convention: Appealing names such as those that describe the sensory experience (sweet mild radish) or clarify the origin (Australian grown gai lan) should be trialled as a likely way of increasing sales Education and familiarisation: Consumers have limited knowledge when it comes to some of the vegetables. Information regarding the expected taste and texture, as well as cooking styles and recipes will be essential. Comparing the vegetable to similar tasting vegetables (i.e. Kulyu, like sweetpotato) will lift consumer confidence around incorporating them in their cooking Communicating unique health benefits: Highlighting the health and nutritional benefits of each vegetable is congruent with health trends and provides a strong reason for purchase beyond current vegetable purchasing Reaching younger consumers: Consumers aged 10–25 were highly engaged with these Indigenous and Asian vegetables, found them
Shelf life is an important factor for consumers.
3 UNFORTUNATELY the short shelf life of gai lan of up to three days does not appeal to consumers.
appealing, and expressed the desire for them to be purchased. However, this study reveals that parents are potentially acting as gate keepers, more reluctant to purchase new vegetables for themselves and their family. Further work should be conducted into understanding this barrier to children’s vegetable consumption. The project suggested that further work around these recommendations would help the vegetable industry as well as the health of everyday Australians.
MORE INFORMATION
For those growers who are active or interested in indigenous or Asian there is some really useful research detailed in the project report. The full report can be found at https://ausveg.com.au/app/uploads/
technical-insights/VG15071b.pdf
This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-forprofit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.
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