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CenterCenter for Crop for DiversificationCrop Diversification Marketing Crop Profile Profile CCD-CP-138CCD-MP-8

MarketingGinger and Asian Turmeric Produce MattMatt Ernst Ernst1 and1 and Kristi Tim WoodsDurbin22 IntroductionIntroduction GingerAsian produce(Zingiber includes officinale any number Roscoe) andof fruitsturmeric and (vegetablesCurcuma longaoriginating) both inhave and/or a long used history in the cuisineof use inof Asian,East African (, and Caribbean and ) cuisines. and FreshSoutheast ginger Asia is available(Vietnam, year-round Laos, , in the U.S. Thailand, and Canada , from proetc).- duceThe termwholesalers “Asian” sourcing can also from include global cuisine suppliers, of South and bothAsia are( widely and Pakistan).available in their dried, ground form that is produced from their underground rhizomes. Market Overview TheAsian U.S. cuisines ginger became crop is well-establishedmainly grown in as . part of Re the- cently,American some diet U.S. as vegetableCaucasian and consumers greenhouse developed growers haveincreasingly added ginger diverse and appetites turmeric and as the high-value U.S. ethnic special Asian- typopulation crops to meetincreased. consumer Today’s demands younger for locally consumers, grown ingredients.especially Millennials, Producers in are the likely northeast to consider have success ethnic- fullyfoods produced part of gingertheir regular in high diet.tunnels, Globally and experience inspired withchildren’s ginger menu and turmeric items ranked production as a (through major restaurant the 2018 season)trend for indicates 2020, andboth foodservicecrops may be trends adaptable continue to high to tunnelpopularize production ethnic inAsian Kentucky. cuisines. 1 Since the 1990s, ethnic Asian restaurants, particularly “quick casual,”2 BaBy ginger “fusion”3 and higher-end establishments, have become Marketing atY ardlonggrocery stores.Beans Turmeric producers should also pro- Kentuckymore popular producers with consumers. have focused on selling directly vide use guidelines, as fresh turmeric is not commonly to consumers, using local market channels like farmers foundpopulation in the of marketplace. persons of AsianCommon ethnicity uses include in Kentucky, using marketsThe popularity and community of ethnic supported Asian cuisineagriculture. continued A few thethough vegetative comparatively tops of smallboth plantsto Kentucky’s to make moreteas, thanand producersthrough the also 2010s sell these as specialtyvalue-conscious crops via consumerswholesale both118,000 crops persons are used of in juicing.Hispanic Both origin, rhizomes continued can also to marketingembraced forAsian restaurant dining chefs.lunch Somemenus foodand retailersnoodle- beincrease dehydrated, in the pickled 2000s. orKentucky’s candied. Asian population focusedbased dishes, on offering as well organic as bowl and entrees. local Asianproduce cuisines have was estimated at 36,986 in 2004, nearly doubling to 4 reportedalso figure sourcing prominently ginger locally. in “street food,” as well Gingerabout 71,000 and turmeric by 2018. have6 received attention in the as fusion dining and . Ethnic/street food- health and wellness product market, with turmeric at- Localinspired farmers cuisine market appeared customers in the Nationaland CSA Restaurant members tractingBurgeoning much Asian recent populations interest. The and FDA consumer regulates interest how willAssociation’s benefit from lists recipes of top andtrends, preparation from appetizers suggestions to productsin Asian maycuisine be marketedhelped stimulate with respect increased to claims interest of 5 formain fresh dishes, ginger. from Shelf 2014 lifeto 2020. and storage potentialin purchasing health benefits.fresh Asian Farm marketers considerations should be conveyed to mustto prepare understand at home, the apotential trend expected ramifica to- customers,Increased use as ofthe ethnic fresh Asian “baby” food ginger is also tionscontinue. of making More interesthealth claims in ethnic when cuisine sell- infueled its immature by a growing stage Asianproduced population. in high ingfrom fresh Caucasian produce consumers crops, as also associating supports tunnelsThe U.S. will Asian have population different maderequirements up 5.4% theseethnic specific crops cultivation.with health benefitsThe 6 thanof the the total mature population ginger that in is2017. available The www.uky.edu/CCDwww.uky.edu/CCD violatesyoungest food shoppers marketing (Generation regulations. Y, also

1 1MattMatt ErnstErnst isis anan independentindependent contractorcontractor withwith thethe CenterCenter forfor CroCropp Diversification.Diversification. 2 2KristiTim Woods Durbin is is an a seniorExtension horticulturist Professor in withthe Universitythe UK Department of Kentucky of AgriculturalDepartment Economics. of . Cooperative Extension Service | Agriculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | 4-H Youth Development | Community and Economic Development known as the Millennial Generation, or Millennials) are also highly receptive to ethnic cuisine. During the past 20 years, Asian vegetables like edamame (vegetable soybean) and daikon (Chinese radish) have been among vegetable crops that could be produced at wholesale quantities in Kentucky.

Market Opportunities The U.S. ethnic foods market, including fresh produce, saw robust annual growth during the period from 2010 to 2018. Smaller growers and market gardeners have immediate opportunities to tap into local consumer demand for Asian vegetables. Growers should investigate adding traditionally Asian vegetables to their farmers market offering, community supported agriculture (CSA) shares, or roadside stand mix. Wholesale marketing opportunities are also available Asian for Asian vegetables. Open communication lines with your customers can Marketing Asian vegetables to restaurants may be also result in additional markets for other products. possible for farmers located near metro areas. Selling While welcoming guests to the farm and explaining Asian vegetables to upscale restaurants expanding PYO rules, producers can ask their customers what their menus to include Asian-themed entrees may other products they might be interested in purchasing. also be an option. As with any new market, the best This can help the producer discover new crops to offer way to determine what to grow is to find out what the at the farm market. customer wants. This is especially critical in finding niche markets for Asian vegetables, where various Asian pears and ethnic groups may prefer different sizes, colors and Kentucky orchardists near Lexington, Louisville and other characteristics of the same eggplant, radish, Cincinnati have found a ripe local market for Asian , etc. Growers should recognize that these pears (also called “ ”). Orchardists report differences extend to restaurants, with distinctions in that Asian customers enjoy obtaining fresh Asian produce sourced by Thai, Chinese, Indian, Japanese pears at the farm and have been especially open to and other ethnic chefs. pick-your-own operations. On a smaller scale, some producers have successfully marketed specialty Asian Pick-your-own (u-pick) melons near these metro areas. Pick-your-own (PYO) marketers always face the challenge of communicating their farm policies and Asian vegetables picking rules to their customers. PYO marketers Kentucky growers could potentially discover local selling larger amounts of produce to non-native market niches for dozens of Asian vegetables. The English speakers should consider having their farm challenge to the grower is to identify those vegetables policies translated into languages common to their that may be grown efficiently and readily marketed. customers — Mandarin and Cantonese, Korean, Thai, Past University of Kentucky marketing research Japanese, and so on. projects evaluated consumer acceptance of kabocha squash, also called Japanese , a hard (winter) Customers can then be presented with a copy of squash well-received by both ethnic Asian and the farm’s policies, enabling easier enforcement of Caucasian consumers. those rules. It is important that all customers have an understanding of the farm’s rules governing the pick- Kabocha squash customers were surveyed about their your-own operation. Asian vegetable buying practices and preferences. 2 Bok Choy is among the Asian vegetable crops in demand at farmers markets in Kentucky.

Their responses reinforced basic guidelines for direct According to the Kentucky Produce Marketing and marketing specialty vegetables. Key considerations Planting Intentions Survey, Asian vegetables most for producers wishing to develop market niches for likely to be grown by commercial vegetable growers Asian vegetables are: in Kentucky are bok choy, daikon, eggplant and Asian • Provide preparation instructions and recipes at greens. Past surveys of kabocha squash customers purchase indicated they were willing to purchase celtuce/ • Bundle specialty vegetables with other products asparagus lettuce, , garlic chives, wax and provide instructions for use and Japanese eggplant. The sample size of this survey • Provide educational information about the was specific to a single farm market and is too small vegetable’s name, where and how it is grown, for other producers to assume these vegetables will and other background information be popular in their areas. Producers should use the sample survey instrument (see Appendix I) or other It is a proven marketing practice to include recipes basic market research to develop their own tools for with specialty crop purchases. Even customers measuring interest and market niches for new crops. already familiar with kabocha squash were interested in receiving recipes at purchase. Producers can Asian vegetable name chart obtain recipes from a variety of sources, and should The following chart (Appendix II, Table 1) is a partial always verify that the recipe may be reproduced and reproduction of a listing of Asian vegetables and their distributed. ethnic names in the University of California’s Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook. It has been reproduced by Recommended asian vegetable mix permission. The handbook is recommended for those for new growers interested in Asian crops, as well as other specialty A recommended Asian vegetable mix for growers produce. Other Asian vegetables that could potentially interested in experimenting with Asian crops is listed be grown in Kentucky are listed in a second table below. These are the more common ethnic Asian (Appendix II, Table 2). produce items demanded by farm market and farmers market customers in Kentucky. 1National Restaurant Association What’s Hot 2020 Culinary • Specialty greens and herbs Forecast. https://restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/Research/ • Bok choy Whats_Hot_2020.pdf • Daikon 2Quick casual, also referred to as fast casual, are restaurants • Specialty that offer counter service rather than full table service. The quality of food and atmosphere, however, is of a higher quality • Specialty eggplants than what would be offered at a fast food restaurant. • Specialty melons 3Fusion is a culinary trend that merges two or more distinct • Specialty squash/gourd ethnic styles into a unique type of cuisine 3 4Street food, as the name implies, refers to food available • Growing and Marketing Chinese Vegetables in through street vendors, generally via a portable cart or stall. Central Kentucky (University of Kentucky, 1996) 5 National Restaurant Association. What’s Hot 2020 Culinary http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ Forecast. https://restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/Research/ Whats_Hot_2020.pdf proceedings1996/v3-496.html 6 http://www.census.gov • Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook, 2nd edition (Small Farm Center, University of California-Davis, Selected Resources 1998) This publication is available for purchase only. • Asian Vegetables (University of Kentucky) Information on the handbook contents: https://www.uky.edu/ccd/sites/www.uky.edu.ccd/ http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/pubs/publications/5/ files/asian.pdf Available for purchase at: https://anrcatalog.ucanr. • Asian Vegetables (Midwest Vegetable Production edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3346 Guide, Page 95) https://www.extension.purdue.edu/ • Specialty Vegetables (ATTRA, 2002) extmedia/ID/ID-56-W%202020.pdf https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary. • Ethnic Vegetables (Cornell University) php?pub=36 https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/crop.php?id=13 Suggested Citation: • Growing Specialty Ethnic Crops for a South Asian Market in the Northeast (Northeast SARE, 2016) Ernst, M. and T. Woods (2021). Marketing Asian Produce. CCD-MP-8. Lexington, KY: Center for Crop Diversification, https://cdn.sare.org/wp-content/ University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and uploads/20171204120541/Crop-Guide-for-South- Environment. Available: http://www.uky.edu/ccd/sites/www. Asian-Vegetables-in-NE1.pdf uky.edu.ccd/files/asianmarket.pdf

Reviewed by Brad Bergefurd, Ohio State University Horticulture Specialist, and Savannah Columbia, Extension Associate, UK Agricultural Economics Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com August 2021 For additional information, contact your local County Extension agent Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. 4 APPENDIX I. Kabocha Squash Customer Survey

1. Have you ever eaten kabocha squash before? ___ Yes ___ No

2. Do you know how you will prepare this squash? ___ Yes ___ No

3. Have you ever heard this squash called “Japanese pumpkin?” ___ Yes ___ No

4. Would you find recipes using kabocha squash useful at purchase? ___ Yes ___ No

5. How often do you cook with Asian vegetables? ___ More than once a week ___ Once a week

___ 2-4 times per month ___ Once a month

___ Less than once a month

6. Would you be interested in purchasing any of the following crops if they were available locally? (Check all that apply)

___ Arugula ___ Bitter /Balsam Pear (fu kwa, , nigai uri, ampalaya) ___ Bok Choy ___ Bottle Gourd//Cucuzzi (yugao, po gua, upo, bau) ___ Celtuce/Asparagus Lettuce ___ Chayote/Mirliton/Vegetable Pear (Tao tah; hayato uri; fut shau kua, ngow-lai choi, tsai hsio li; sayote; xu-xu, trai su; choc ho;) ___ Chinese Broccoli/Kailan/Gai-lohn/Chinese Kale (pak kah nah) ___ Daikon/Chinese Radish (Lo pue; lor bark; labanos; cu-cai trang) ___ Garlic Chive/Chinese Chive/Gow Choy (Ndoh dah; nira; jiu tsai kau tsai, kui, tsai; gil choy) ___ Sponge Gourd/Chinese Okra/ (Skoo ah; hechima; sinqua; ta tsu kua; patola, cabatiti; muop khia) ___ Tomatillo ___ /Ash Gourd/Winter Melon (Tougan; doongua, cham kwa; tankoy)

7. Other ethnic vegetables you would be interested in purchasing locally (please list) ______

8. What is your zip code? ______

5 APPENDIX II. Selected Asian Vegetables: English and Ethnic Names* TABLE 1. Asian vegetables in the University of California Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook, 2nd edition, 1998

English Botanical Name Family Name Chinese Japanese Filipino Vietnamese Hmong

Bitter melon Momordica ku kwa (M) rei shi jee dee ee-ah ampalaya muop dang charantia Bitter gourd fu kwa (C) niga uri dee ee-ah Bottle gourd (calabash, white-flowered siceraria Cucurbitaceae po gua (C) yugao upo bau gourd) fut shau kua xu-xu (C) Chayote Sedium edule Cucurbitaceae tsai hsio li hayato uri sayote trai su tao tah ngow-lai choi Chinese broccoli Brassica oleracea Brassicaceae gai lohn (C) pak kah nah (white flowering) Alboglabra group Radish (Chinese, Raphanus sativus cu-cai Japanese white, Oriental (Longipinnatus Brassicaceae lor bark (C) daikon labanos lo pue trang winter) group) Chives, Chinese jiu tsai (M) Garlic Chives Allium tuberasum Amaryllidaceae gow choy (C) nira ndoh dah gil choy Luffa Cucurbitaceae sinqua (C) hechima patola muop khia skoo ah -angled (Chinese okra, ta tsu kua (M) cabatiti vegetable sponge) -smooth Luffa aegyptiaca Cucurbitaceae bark gua (C) bilidan muop huong Wax gourd / Chinese doongua (C) Benincasa hispida Cucurbitaceae tougan tankoy preserving melon (M) -harvested at white stage cham kwa

*(C) denotes Cantonese; (M) denotes Mandarin

TABLE 2. Other Asian vegetables

Chinese English Botanical Name Family Name Notes (Mandarin) Adzuki bean Phaseolus angularis Fabaceae hong xiao dou also: azuki bean

includes varieties: Canton Pak, Pai Bok Choy Brassica rapa Brassicaceae xiao bai cai Tsai White Stalk, Shanghai, Lei Choy and Pak Choy

Celtuce Lactuca sativa var. augustan Asteraceae wo sun also: stem lettuce Edamame Glycine max Fabaceae mao dou edible green vegetable soybeans Kabocha maxima Cucurbitaceae also: Japanese squash Napa Brassica rapa var. pekinensis Brassicaceae da bai cai headed Chinese cabbage Pea Pisium sativum Fabaceae dou miao sprouts Yardlong bean Vigna sesquipedalis Fabaceae chang jiang dou also: asparagus bean

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