An unusual Chinese delicacy made its international debut at Fruit Logistica in Berlin last week.
The Lanzhou Baihe grows in Lanzhou in north-western China, and is a lily bulb which has not been marketed outside of China before.
The bulb resembles garlic but consists of leaves with the consistency of white cabbage and a sweet taste.
Wie Wen Jian, sales director of Gan Su Plateau Fruits Marketing, said: “Because they are rich in carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins, they are known in China as vegetable ginseng.”
The bulbs are eaten raw or served like a vegetable and can only thrive at an elevation of 2,200 metres in the Lanzhou region. The product requires three to six years before they attain the size of a garlic bulb. Another new item on offer is the “Nashi honey pear” which looks like a light coloured apple.
“We breed apples and pears to meet the requirements of European customers”, says Elder Yu Jia, from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
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