Flavour concepts have become an important pillar of Rijk Zwaan’s pepper range. The concepts Sweet Palermo and Tatayoyo – both characterised by peppers with a sweet, juicy flavour – have gained considerable ground in recent years. And they still do: flavoursome peppers clearly meet a consumer need and help boost pepper consumption. Rijk Zwaan is therefore fully committed to the further development of these concepts and to breeding new flavoursome peppers.
Flavoured peppers are not new to Rijk Zwaan’s pepper variety range. The breeder introduced the ‘Sweet Palermo’ flavour concept more than ten years ago. “There has been a trend towards diversification in the fruit and vegetable aisle for years; consumers increasingly want more choice,” says Emiel Bronswijk, Crop Specialist Pepper at Rijk Zwaan. “That’s why we started looking at the possibilities of introducing more variation into our pepper range, based on the properties that are genetically inherent in this crop. This ultimately led to the Sweet Palermo concept, among other things. The Palermo RZ pepper variety had been grown and offered as a green pepper for years. Allowing these peppers to ripen for longer, until they were red, turned out to result in a wonderfully flavourful pepper. That laid the foundation for the Sweet Palermo concept.”
Wide range of breeds
Today, this concept includes dozens of sweet pointed pepper varieties, which are characterized by a sweet taste and extremely juicy fruits. “This combination does it,” says Erwin Weerheim, Crop Specialist Pepper and worldwide Crop Coordinator high-tech Pepper at Rijk Zwaan. “As a breeder, we set very high standards for the taste of these concept varieties; the Brix value must be optimal. We have fully invested in this – and in the juiciness and good shelf life of the pepper – over the past ten years. There are now Sweet Palermo varieties with various disease resistances, including TM3 and TSWV:0, for both high-tech greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands and for cultivation in Spain and Morocco. There are also varieties with different fruit weights and ripening speeds; the grower can therefore choose the variety that suits his wishes and those of his buyer. But ultimately, the taste experience for the consumer is always the same; because all our Sweet Palermo varieties are extensively screened by a consumer panel, buyers are guaranteed a sweet and juicy pepper.”
The Sweet Palermo area is growing rapidly; in the Netherlands, there are now around 150 hectares of these sweet pointed peppers. In addition, these flavoursome peppers are grown in Spain and Morocco. “The area has expanded by more than ten percent in the past two years,” says Bronswijk. “So the market is growing. This is partly because we at Rijk Zwaan are investing heavily in the marketing and promotion of the Sweet Palermo concept. We work together with retailers to bring the added value of this flavoursome pepper to the attention of consumers. This is having an effect, and the taste is also a hit. And consumers – and especially children – eat the Sweet Palermos very easily. It is ideal for snacking in between meals and also fits perfectly in a lunch box.”
A similar development is manifesting itself in the Tatayoyo concept, the latest flavour concept. Rijk Zwaan launched this premium snack pepper two years ago. “Tatayoyo – the brand name for the Mitayo RZ variety – also stands out in particular because of its flavour,” says Weerheim. “This orange flavour pepper is sweet and juicy and is also characterised by various tropical, fruity aromas. These aromas are not present in any other pepper. As a result, the Brix value is slightly higher than that of Sweet Palermo.” Tatayoyo also stands out because it is smaller than a block pepper, but larger than a regular snack pepper. “A regular snack pepper weighs 25 to 30 grams, the Tatayoyo 40 to 80 grams. Nevertheless, this flavour pepper is very handy and ideal for snacking, partly because the fruit contains few seeds. It also fits perfectly in a lunch box.”
Because Tatayoyo is still a relatively new concept, the area is considerably more limited than with Sweet Palermo. Bronswijk states that there are more than 2 hectares of Tatayoyo peppers in the Netherlands. In addition, the variety is grown on a small scale in Romania, Austria, Spain and North America. “But we see that this product is gaining ground; the Tatayoyo is finding its way to the consumer quite easily,” says Bronswijk. All in all, consumers appreciate the special flavour of Sweet Palermo and Tatayoyo. “Flavour peppers are popular and on the rise. And more and more European retailers want to get started with them,” says Weerheim. “We are certain that this rise will continue. There is a clear need for flavourful peppers that are also easy to eat out of hand.” For this reason, Rijk Zwaan is fully committed to the (continued) development of flavour concepts. “
Also because these concepts help to increase pepper consumption,” says Bronswijk. “The flavoured peppers usually take away little sales from the block peppers. These are usually not eaten as a snack, but processed in various dishes. The flavoured peppers are therefore an addition to this; they ensure an expansion of the pepper market.” The breeder is not only focusing on the development of new flavour concepts, but also on the further development of Sweet Palermo and Tatayoyo. Bronswijk: “With Sweet Palermo, for example, we focus on creating mildew resistance. With Tatayoyo, we focus on varieties with a higher kilo yield, other colours and the crossing of TM3 and TSWV:0 resistance. Because this concept is still relatively new, bigger steps can be taken here. But investing in flavoured peppers pays off; that much is clear!”
