A new variety of edible flower, that is gaining a growing interest, is the edible orchid. "Even with the increasing popularity, edible flowers remain challenging to market," says Yogev Keidar, senior buyer at Agriver.

Agriver is an Israeli exporting company of perishable produce, including fresh herbs, exotic fruits, vegetables, baby leaves and edible flowers. According to Keidar, edible flowers are one of the company’s most popular products and it’s still working on promoting them.

It sells about twenty different kinds of edible flower, all of which are grown in Israel, said to be the biggest edible flower producer in the world. The flowers are sold globally to wholesalers and restaurants. According to Yogev Keidar, the flowers are very popular in the Czech Republic, France and Russia.

It appears that the edible flower sector has many similarities with the ornamental sector. Over the last years, the orchid became increasingly popular. Due to this popularity, the demand for edible orchids has risen.

Agriver says it has responded to the demand and started to sell edible orchids approximately three years ago. These edible orchids are grown, together with non-edible varieties, in a four-acre greenhouse in Israel.

The growing technique for edible orchids is a different and unique process. For example, growers also need to take into account the residue levels of the flowers. Therefore ,little to no pesticides can be used.

The demand is good, there are still challenges in producing, distributing and selling edible flowers. According to Keidar, the main issue is the product’s relatively short shelf life. After harvesting, the flowers have a shelf life of 7-10 days. "So, after 3 or 4 days the flowers need to be at their destination," he added.

Keidar said that it was difficult to break into the EU market. "The UK and Holland also grow edible flowers and it is hard to compete with them on the European market".

Source: Elita Vellekoop, www.hortidaily.com