Fruit carrot, snakeskin fruit, red heart guava, ginseng fruit, Sakya fruit … … It is the time when seasonal fruits are on the market in summer. There are more and more novel fruits with fresh names, "weird" appearance and expensive prices in some fruit shops and imported fruit shelves in supermarkets in Beijing. Like avocados that have been "popular" for a long time, they have also become "online celebrity fruits".
Recently, the Beijing Morning Post reporter saw in some supermarkets and hypermarkets that "new and exotic" fruits are dazzling on the shelves of imported fruits in high-end supermarkets, while hypermarkets mainly focus on fruits familiar to the people. In a mid-range supermarket near the North Fifth Ring Road, the seller of imported fruit shelves told the Beijing Morning Post that avocado from Mexico is the best-selling imported fruit in their store. "I can sell a few kilograms a day, all of which are bought for folic acid supplementation." Avocado has always been expensive, and this supermarket sells 56 yuan for a kilo. The salesman said that although the daily sales volume of imported fruits is not as good as that of popular domestic fruits, due to the high unit price, the sales volume can exceed that of ordinary fruits.
The reporter noticed that there is a kind of "ginseng fruit" from New Zealand on the shelf, which is golden yellow and covered with "horns". The price is 19.8 yuan each, and there is a straw and special honey next to it to remind consumers to add honey and suck the pulp with a straw after digging the pulp. The price of red heart guava is 39.9 yuan per catty, and the price of snakeskin fruit from Indonesia is 24.9 yuan per catty. The salesman told the reporter that the consumers who choose "online celebrity fruits" such as avocado, snakeskin fruit and red heart guava are mostly young people, and "the elderly generally don’t buy them". Some people are aiming at the nutritional value, some people just want to taste fresh, and some people think that eating "online celebrity Fruit" represents a healthy and fashionable lifestyle.
For example, fruit carrot, as a "cross-border online celebrity", has become the new favorite of diners this year. On the e-commerce platform, this fruit carrot, which is claimed to be imported from the United States, is very popular. It is under the banner of "leisure snacks". Because of its slim size, it is also called "finger carrots". A bag of 340 grams is priced at 25.8 yuan. Some diners who have tasted it commented: "It’s a little sweet, crisp and full of water, so I will rely on this to supplement carotene in the future." Some people also spit out: "There is no carrot flavor, not as delicious as the local food, sorry for the lovely shape."
Do these "online celebrity fruits" with strange names and wonderful appearance really have the legendary beauty, health, nutrition and other effects? Fan Zhihong, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, College of Food Science, China Agricultural University, told the Beijing Morning Post reporter: "Everyone can regard chasing health as a fashion, which in itself is quite happy." However, she also said that the pursuit of "online celebrity fruit" also requires more knowledge of food and nutrition to avoid spending extra money to catch up with "fashion".
While chasing fashion, we should see a more cost-effective and suitable way. For example, avocado, which has been "online celebrity" for a long time, Fan Zhihong said that if you choose avocado to supplement folic acid, it’s actually a bit "going far", because the folic acid content of leafy vegetables such as spinach and Chinese cabbage is the highest, which is cheap and high in folic acid, so you don’t need to eat avocado specially to supplement folic acid. Eating leafy vegetables is a good choice.
Beijing Morning Post reporter Wang Hailiang Wenhe photo
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