Chinese Leaf
At Norfolk Farms we are growing over 70% of the UK’s production of Chinese Leaf.
We have been growing Chinese Leaf at Norfolk Farms for over 25 years but have seen demand for the crop more than double in the past 5 years.
Traditionally the strongest demand for Chinese Leaf has come from the food service market with the crop being a core item within Chinese restaurants. This segment of the market traditionally looks for bigger head sizes with weights in excess of 1kg to maximise value and efficiency. We are more focused on retail sized products with target head weights between 300g to 500g.
Chinese Leaf Variation
Alongside our core yellow / green Chinese Leaf we have experimented with pink / purple varieties which have been grown for the process stir-fry, bagged salad and even limited-edition whole head markets.
These varieties have delivered a different visual on the shelf or have been used as a replacement for more bitter tasting radicchio.
While still a relatively small crop within the G’s Lettuce portfolio we see its growth as increasingly significant, while we often debate is it a lettuce or is it a brassica, which is its genetic origin and is therefore a benefit in our broader salads rotation.”
Kimchi
Over the past 5 years the crop has benefited from an increased demand for Kimchi, with Chinese leaf being the preferred crop for processing into these products.
Kimchi requires a crop with a higher dry matter content to aid processability this is an innovation we are currently exploring in more detail with a broader range of variety trials.
