Californian fruit grower-supplier Suntreat Packing & Shipping is eyeing international markets this season for its Sumo mandarin.
The company acquired exclusive rights to Japanese hybrid citrus variety Dekopan five years ago, and rebranded the large, pebbly skinned fruit as the “Sumo” mandarin.
Thanks to expanding acreage, Sumo mandarins have been steadily making their way onto supermarket shelves across the US and Canada the last few years. Production has increased to the point where Suntreat is now ready to export.
The Sumo’s appearance doesn’t necessarily make the best of first impressions: it has a bumpy exterior, funky top-knot and very large size. But it also is one of the tastiest citrus eating experiences around.
“Sumos are known for their phenomenal flavour,” Roger Griess, Suntreat’s vice president of sales and marketing, told Fruitnet. “They’re simply one of the very best eating citrus varieties available today. Usually the more gnarled its skin, the better the taste!”
The Sumo season in California usually commences in mid-January, running into May. Suntreat has a licensing agreement for production in Australia and hopes to “fill the supply gaps” with growing deals out of Peru and Spain.
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