Lunar New Year
February 1st marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and slinking in alongside it, the Water Tiger. Associated with bravery, confidence and strength, the cunning tiger’s appearance feels especially auspicious at this moment.
Revelers looking to ring in a fierce new year will look to citrus and other traditional dishes to bring luck, so be sure those displays are looking exceptionally opulent to entice eaters!
There is plenty of splendidly sunny citrus available right now with the organic mandarin category showing up strong! Look to these four high-volume varieties to create the foundation of your citrus set:
Tango mandarin
Tango makes taste buds dance! Sweet-tart and smooth, Tango will win over eaters with its fantastic flavor. Murcott, also known as Honey tangerine, is sweet as can be! Page is described as possessing a superb mandarin flavor, and who can say no to a taste so quintessential!? Fan-favorite TDE, bursting with juice and bold flavor, also adds a rich orange hue to displays. While the ranch has been struggling with labor causing intermittent gaps on this triple-cross mandarin, we’re only about 20% through the TDE crop, so more goodness to come!
Also, with tighter availability but worth mentioning (so grab them if you can!): teeny tiny Kishu, richly flavored Fremont and the stupendous Satsuma make lovely additions to your “small round orange things” display.
Sanguinelli blood orange
Quats are just getting started in a limited way, and these little flavor bombs are sure to get shoppers excited, so keep an eye out for Nagami and Meiwa. Mandarinquat, a slightly larger family member, is a delicious kumquat and mandarin cross that’s a delight to eat. Stay tuned as kumquat availability increases over the coming weeks!
Oranges are getting exciting as dramatically-hued Sanguinelli joins Moro, making blood oranges a readily available way to add color to displays! The salmon pink flesh of Cara Cara navel continues to entice, so consider cutting all three varieties open to showcase their flashy tones. Navel oranges are a powerhouse all season long, so don’t overlook this forever-favorite.
In addition to citrus, shoppers may be stocking up on savory staples like Napa cabbage, Bok Choy, ginger and green onions to create traditional dishes like Longevity Noodles and dumplings, so don’t get caught short!