New Season’s US Blueberries Arrive at Fruit Chain Giant Pagoda

Recently, fresh Peachy Blue blueberries, sent by air from the United States, have started appearing on the shelves of selected Pagoda stores in China, marking the beginning of the 2024 U.S. blueberry season for Chinese consumers.

These blueberries were sourced from orchards in Oregon. After being sorted and packaged, they were sent to San Francisco International Airport then flown directly to Shenzhen and Shanghai. Following inspection by China Customs, the four pallets of blueberries were made available for sale at Pagoda stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Pagoda reports that these blueberries feature exceptional crispness and a pronounced peachy fragrance. As purchasing volumes grow, the blueberries will be stocked in more stores across the country. This year, Pagoda plans to roll out Peachy Blue blueberries in 12 cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing. Customers are being encouraged to visit the stores and enjoy free samples of the blueberries.

Blueberries are an increasingly popular fruit in China, and those sold by Pagoda are subject to strict quality standards, including rigorous criteria for shape, size and food safety. The Peachy Blue blueberries on Pagoda’s shelves must possess a sugar content of 14% or higher, with no more than 8% of each batch falling between 12% and 14%. Only berries with a diameter of 16 to 18 millimeters are selected, and they must deliver a rich blueberry flavor complemented by a distinct peachy fragrance, with seeds that are imperceptible when eaten.

Fresh U.S. blueberries made their debut on the Chinese market in 2021, with an official launch event held at a Pagoda store in Shenzhen. In 2022, Pagoda introduced U.S. Peachy Blue blueberries for the first time, and they quickly captured the attention of mid-to-high-end consumers with their distinctive flavor and exceptional quality.

U.S. Peachy Blue blueberries have now become one of Pagoda’s “signature fruits” — a designation only granted to fruits that meet Pagoda’s stringent quality standards. Despite their limited production and a short availability period of just six weeks, Pagoda plans to further expand its imports of Peachy Blue blueberries this year.

Images: Pagoda

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.