Kale-Brussels sprouts hybrid to hit stores this fall
Kale-Brussels sprouts hybrid to hit stores this fall
A new vegetable will enter produce departments this fall: Kalettes, a green and purple offspring of Brussels sprouts and kale. The flavor of Kalettes can be described as sweet and nutty, combining the best traits of each of its parent vegetables.
Tozer Seeds — one of the larger family-owned vegetable-breeding companies in England — developed the kale-Brussels sprouts hybrid after more than a decade of research. Its product development staff worked with a variety of different colored sprouts and kale before finally finding its final combination.
Kalettes, which are not genetically modified, were developed by cross-pollinating Brussels sprouts with kale through traditional methods. So far the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have been introduced to the new food with promising results.
Tozer is working with several cooperators to grow and market Kalettes. “We started selling seed in the U.S. in 2012 and quickly realized that this new vegetable was going to be a huge hit with consumers due to the popularity of both vegetables,” Kraig Kuykendall, sales manager of Tozer Seeds-U.S., said in a press release. “The idea behind gathering cooperators to market under the 'Kalettes' brand was to give consumers a consistent name and brand identity to look for in the produce department.”
Plans for the U.S. launch include consumer media engagement and a strong presence on social media channels. The website www.kalettes.com includes recipes and high-quality photography, which will be expanded later this summer.
