UK | Papaya has become the UK’s fastest-growing fruit as Brits go for a taste of the exotic.
Demand for the orange-coloured fruit, mainly grown in tropical climates within South America, has rocketed by nearly 160 per cent in the last year.
Not only is papaya being increasingly eaten as a treat on its own but it has also become very popular as an ingredient used to add excitement to healthy fish, chicken and salad dishes.
Kiwis, mangos, passion fruit and persimmons are other fruits that have been currently spearheading record demand for exotic fruit in general.
In the last year, tropical fruit has become the fastest-growing sector of the UK fruit market, with demand soaring by nearly 30 percent in a market now worth £460 million a year.
The fastest-growing tropical fruit in 2024 are:
- Papaya – up by nearly 160 percent
- Kiwis – up by nearly 90 percent
- Mangoes – up nearly 80 percent
- Passionfruit – 50 percent
- Persimmon – 45 percent
- Dates – 35 percent
- Coconut – Up by 15 percent
“Not so long ago, pineapples, coconuts, passionfruit, pomegranate and nectarines were still considered exotic to your average shopper,” said Tesco exotic fruit expert Maksim Ivanov.
“But now, as those fruits have become more mainstream buys, shoppers are turning to more unusual varieties with which to excite their taste buds and even impress their friends at dinner parties.
A key factor driving UK sales of tropical fruit has been the fall in the price of travel and the increase in Caribbean and Far Eastern countries such as Thailand as popular holiday destinations.
“Many people try exotic fruit out there and then are interested in buying them back home.”
Papaya has been a rich source of Vitamin C which protects cells from damage and also helps form collagen. It is crucial for normal bones, gums, teeth, and skin and helps the immune and nervous systems function usually.
As such, it also counted towards the 5-a-day recommended intake of fruit and vegetables.
The growing interest in exotic fruit was good news as it has been reported that most of the UK population continued to consume less than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day; only a third of adults and just 12 percent of 11 to 18-year-olds meet that number.
Adults aged 19 to 64 consumed about 4.2 portions per day, while older adults (65 years and over) consumed about 4.3 portions per day.
Children aged 11 to 18 had the lowest intake, averaging around 2.8 portions per day.
There has been little change in fruit and vegetable consumption over the years.
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