Texas grapefruit counts on taste in Korea

The Texas Department of Agriculture led a delegation to Korea late last month to build awareness and demand for the state’s grapefruit.

Texas grapefruit secured access to the Korean market midway through 2024, and the delegation met with retailers, importers and distributors to engage with them and provide education about the product’s attributes.  

The delegation was led by Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. He was joined by Taka Fujishima, export business development director of Wonderful Citrus, Tony Noun, Go Texan ambassador at the Texas Department of Agriculture, and Yoomee Kim, communications officer at the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Korea’s grapefruit market is highly competitive, Kim noted, with South Africa and Israel dominating supply and California exporting fruit during their offseasons.

“With their ideal price points and South Africa’s unique seasonality for grapefruit, they have a competitive advantage. As of now, space for Texas grapefruit is limited,” she explained. “However, the trade and consumer reception has been very positive for Texas grapefruit, and the delegation incorporated live tastings of the flesh as well as its juice.”

The delegation highlighted the appealing red colour, high juice content and sweetness (Brix levels) of Texas grapefruit.

It conducted in-person tastings with major retailers, including Emart, Lotte Mart, Homeplus and Hyundai Department Store as well as leading importer-wholesalers.

“Texas grapefruit, grown in the Rio Grande Valley, was sampled in the combo grade. We also bought a bag of grapefruits sold at a local Korean grocery store to compare the two during the tastings, trying to keep different variables to a minimum,” she said.

“As soon as we cut open the grapefruit and showed them the flesh, they were impressed by the bright red colour. We received positive feedback on the distinct taste and high Brix score, which is one of the key differentiators of Texas grapefruit.

“People mentioned a different kind of experience when trying the freshly squeezed juice,” she adds. “It was almost a heightened experience that allows the sampler to taste the pureness of Texas grapefruit. There is no better way to market fruit than to let consumers experience the quality for themselves.” 

Initial commercial shipments of Texas grapefruit to Korea began shortly after market access was granted in mid-2024. Exporters prioritised small trial shipments to establish quality benchmarks, gather feedback from Korean buyers and understand logistical requirements. Now, the industry is ready to scale up programmes in 2025/26.

“While initial volumes were moderate, interest has grown rapidly because Korean buyers recognised the difference in Texas quality,” said Noun. “The 2025 season is positioned for significant expansion as demand increases, and more retailers commit to Texas programmes.”

Indeed, the delegation is hopeful that Texas grapefruit can invigorate the overall category in Korea, which has been stagnating, and boost consumption, Kim noted. “Importers told us that the biggest challenge in this category is consumer trust,” she said. “People will try grapefruit once but if the flavour does not satisfy them, they won’t return. Texas changes that story.”