LemonGold Brand Lemons Come to China

Starting from early June, customers of high-end supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will be able to enjoy LemonGold branded seedless lemons for the very first time. Boasting a deep flavor and being naturally seedless, LemonGold lemons have become a favorite of chefs, home cooks and health enthusiasts across Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Middle East since the brand was launched in 2019.

LemonGold lemons are marketed by Fruitalyst of South Africa and were bred from Australian seedless lemon varieties. The fruit, which is specially selected for the Chinese market, is distinguished by its large size, plump shape and smooth golden-yellow rind. The lemons feature a rich flavor with balanced acidity and sweetness. The major selling point of LemonGold lemons is that culinary professionals and consumers do not need to worry about seeds, which have a bitter flavor and are inconvenient to separate from the juice. The lemons are well suited to cooking, juicing, bartending and dessert applications.

Stable supply of LemonGold lemons grown in South Africa starts from May of each year and lasts until August. Combined with authorized production in other countries, LemonGold aims to achieve a year-round supply.

Shanghai ShengGuo is an authorized distributor of LemonGold seedless lemons in China. Currently, there are two types of retail packaging that have been chosen to meet the needs of different customers: a nine-piece carton and a four-piece punnet.

The appearance of much of this year’s South African lemon crop has been affected by high rainfall in key growing areas. But this is not an issue for LemonGold. To ensure that each fruit is visually pleasing and of high quality, LemonGold lemons are carefully hand sorted. Only the 10–15% of lemons with uniform size and excellent appearance are selected to carry the LemonGold brand.

This year marks the fourth official production season of LemonGold lemons. Currently, only about 4,500 tons of lemons are produced annually, according to Craig Shaefer of Core, which exports LemonGold. This volume is expected to increase to 10,000 tons over coming years to meet demand from consumers around the world.

Images: Fruitalyst