Asian produce becoming more mainstream
Asian produce becoming more mainstream
Carcione's Fresh Produce Co. Inc. on the Golden Gate Produce Terminal in South San Francisco has long carried Asian produce items to service mostly small- and medium-sized retail markets and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. But that dynamic has changed over the years, said Pete Carcione, president of Carcione's Fresh Produce.
He said that it used to be more common that the Golden Gate Produce Terminal serviced retail markets and restaurants whose customers were exclusively Chinese. But now "maybe only 50 percent of the business is Chinese," he said.
Mr. Carcione attributed much of the assimilation into mainstream culture to the public's desire to eat healthy. Items such as garlic and ginger - still strong sellers for Carcione's Fresh Produce - are noted for their nutritional benefits, he said.
"Baby bok choy is big, bigger than bok choy," Mr. Carcione said. "Chinese people are selling a mixture of everything."
The Oakland Wholesale Market has carved out a niche - with business such as West Coast Produce and Pacific Rim - that offers a broad line of Asian products.
More Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are popping up all the time in the San Francisco Bay area. "The population is supporting it," Mr. Carcione said.
Los Alamitos, CA-based Frieda's Inc. is a leading marketer and distributor of exotic and unusual fruits, vegetables and specialty produce. Karen Caplan, president of Frieda's, said that back around 1976, the company created the idea of marketing Asian produce for the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year follows the Chinese lunar calendar, and Frieda's marketing for it covers January and February. Retailers highlight Asian items during this time.
"Our [Asian] line has continued to expand but the mix has changed" over the years, Ms. Caplan said.
The line now has 40 to 60 items, mostly for retail. Items that may not be as popular as garlic, for instance, gain importance for a company like Frieda's when supermarket chains carry the items throughout all their stores.
Frieda's just launched a marketing campaign aimed at retailers that celebrates this year's Chinese New Year - the Year of the Pig - with a campaign that among other things encourages retailers to build sales with ethnic shoppers.
A recent Frieda's newsletter listed the markets for sno peas and sugar snap peas as high but starting to moderate. The market for fresh ginger was listed as higher as a result of lighter shipment volume out of China. Northern California has started with good quality and volume of Buddha's hand, packed five per carton. A new crop of starfruit has started out of Taiwan, packed 9-13 count. Elephant garlic out of Oregon is available. Sizing is smaller this year, mostly eight and nine centimeters. Frieda's most popular packs are five-, 10- and 15-pound units, or a 12-count, three-ounce clove retail pack.
"Garlic is still one of our bigger categories," Ms. Caplan said. "A lot has to do with the whole concept of eating healthier."
He said that it used to be more common that the Golden Gate Produce Terminal serviced retail markets and restaurants whose customers were exclusively Chinese. But now "maybe only 50 percent of the business is Chinese," he said.
Mr. Carcione attributed much of the assimilation into mainstream culture to the public's desire to eat healthy. Items such as garlic and ginger - still strong sellers for Carcione's Fresh Produce - are noted for their nutritional benefits, he said.
"Baby bok choy is big, bigger than bok choy," Mr. Carcione said. "Chinese people are selling a mixture of everything."
The Oakland Wholesale Market has carved out a niche - with business such as West Coast Produce and Pacific Rim - that offers a broad line of Asian products.
More Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are popping up all the time in the San Francisco Bay area. "The population is supporting it," Mr. Carcione said.
Los Alamitos, CA-based Frieda's Inc. is a leading marketer and distributor of exotic and unusual fruits, vegetables and specialty produce. Karen Caplan, president of Frieda's, said that back around 1976, the company created the idea of marketing Asian produce for the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year follows the Chinese lunar calendar, and Frieda's marketing for it covers January and February. Retailers highlight Asian items during this time.
"Our [Asian] line has continued to expand but the mix has changed" over the years, Ms. Caplan said.
The line now has 40 to 60 items, mostly for retail. Items that may not be as popular as garlic, for instance, gain importance for a company like Frieda's when supermarket chains carry the items throughout all their stores.
Frieda's just launched a marketing campaign aimed at retailers that celebrates this year's Chinese New Year - the Year of the Pig - with a campaign that among other things encourages retailers to build sales with ethnic shoppers.
A recent Frieda's newsletter listed the markets for sno peas and sugar snap peas as high but starting to moderate. The market for fresh ginger was listed as higher as a result of lighter shipment volume out of China. Northern California has started with good quality and volume of Buddha's hand, packed five per carton. A new crop of starfruit has started out of Taiwan, packed 9-13 count. Elephant garlic out of Oregon is available. Sizing is smaller this year, mostly eight and nine centimeters. Frieda's most popular packs are five-, 10- and 15-pound units, or a 12-count, three-ounce clove retail pack.
"Garlic is still one of our bigger categories," Ms. Caplan said. "A lot has to do with the whole concept of eating healthier."
