Rijk Zwaan expands its product portfolio with Crystal lettuce, a frilly, open lettuce type that has the bite of iceberg lettuce.
“Crystal lettuce could be the best-tasting lettuce we’ve ever launched,” says Harry Turna, Rijk Zwaan crop coordinator for lettuce. “Besides its sweetness and crunchiness, it stands out because of its high number of robust and slightly blistered leaves. They maintain their attractive texture and ‘bite’ even when they are combined with warm ingredients.”
Turna explains that this makes Crystal lettuce ideal for use on burgers and sandwiches, as well as in traditional Asian ‘hot pot’ dishes, which is why it made its debut in the Asian Market at the company’s Asian Leafy Days — an event that brings growers and marketing partners from all over Asia together to explore new innovations in lettuce and other concepts. Additionally, the lettuce is suitable for fresh, loose-leaf consumption.
The versatility of this lettuce, according to the company, gives retailers the opportunity to sell as a head or prewashed, bagged salads.
Rijk Zwaan has developed one Crystal lettuce variety, which can be grown year round and is especially suitable for hydroponic production in South East Asia, high-intensity lit crops and plant factories. The variety will be trialed with select growers during the coming months, and seeds are expected to be commercially available in March.
