A drop in price, more availability and foodie trends are all leading to a growing interest in fennel. “We’ve expanded our acreage on it and we see a lot more people growing it as well. Some of our competitors have upped their plantings on it,” says Ande Manos, with Babe Farms Specialties in Santa Maria, Calif. While Babe’s growing in the Santa Maria Valley, its competition extends along the coast of California from Oxnard to Salinas and anywhere in between.
Prices dropping
Prices are lower than last year at this time, by an estimated $6, notes Manos. “And the great weather we’ve experienced has created an abundance of product coming out of the Central Coast,” she adds. The anticipation of mild weather for the next few weeks leaves Babe’s anticipating a steady supply.
The foodie factor
While interest in this vegetable spikes at this time of year due to its regular appearance in holiday meals, Manos sees another factor driving fennel’s appeal: foodie trends. “You see more fennel being used creatively in dishes. It’s also a popular component in many holiday recipes,” says Manos. “It’s dictated by what you see in the foodie market and blogs. They can really drive the demand on our variety of specialty vegetables.”
Manos says the trend of returning to simpler cooking has also boosted interest in fennel and in turn consumers are using the vegetable differently than they used to. “There are a lot of sophisticated dishes using fennel, but then there are also chefs returning to more of a rustic-type home cooking as well,” she says. “For example, we supplied a lot of vegetables to the Emmy awards and their menu theme was “rustic elegance.” They used our feathery fennel fronds to add flavor and décor to a beautiful salad. Other applications include; fennel au gratin, braised fennel and roasted fennel with parmesan. Fennel is a favorite Italian vegetable with endless applications!
