The wonderful world of cauliflower

08.August 2024, US: While white cauliflower may be the norm, new colorful varieties are growing in popularity. These flavorful heads are gaining popularity among low-calorie, low-carb and gluten-free health-conscious foodies. Packed with a wealth of vitamins and minerals, the colorful vegetables can command premium prices for growers due to high demand.

Which cauliflower colors are in demand?

Some of the more unique and popular colors include purple and orange – a strikingly different appearance than the traditional white head. These unique colors also bring new benefits.

Purple cauliflower gets its color from anthocyanin, a naturally occurring phytochemical known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Its orange relatives, which are becoming increasingly popular at farmers’ markets, are packed with carotenoids, which are responsible for providing higher doses of beta-carotene. Aside from their visual appeal, these cauliflower varieties offer a wealth of health benefits, particularly for eye and cardiovascular health.

Colourful cauliflower sets producers apart from the competition

In 2019, Syngenta launched cauliflower in different colors. It offers a mild, sweet and nutty taste compared to the white varieties and was intended to offer new experiences to the palate. To introduce the new concept, our team conducted numerous trials and demos. The naturally bred varieties showed impressive performance in the growers’ fields. Unique colors aroused the curiosity of growers and consumers.

However, growers wondered if the risk was worth it. Would there be demand for the product and would there be a premium? Kalpesh Bhai Patel, a farmer from Prantij, a town 60 km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, took up the challenge to find out more.

When he took a risk and built a colorful company, he was promised premium prices for his produce. At a time when consumers had dictated the market, his visually appealing, nutrient-rich yields were put to the test of the market. Patel’s journey truly came true when he witnessed how readily customers embraced these innovative varieties. The impact of the first harvest on his two-hectare plot in 2020 was undeniably successful. At the heart of this success story are Syngenta Global Seeds’ cauliflower varieties.

Syngenta Vegetable Seeds places great importance on the success of growers

We understand the challenges you face every day and together we develop solutions. Our continuous investment in research and development, complemented by extensive global experience, enables us to deploy successful varieties in different countries, environments and climates.

For example, our new seed laboratory in Hyderabad, India, provides growers around the world with access to better, higher quality seed. We invest in solutions for growers, from seed genetics to the quality of seed in the bags.

When it comes to colorful cauliflower, whether it’s gracing the plates of a gourmet restaurant, displayed in mainstream supermarkets, or the star of the dinner table, these innovative beauties occupy a niche in the culinary landscape of the brassica family.