Many people associate tropical fruit with exoticism, and as a result, tropical fruit often has an exotic flare. Some types are also very fragile, making transport challenging and adding to the excitement for consumers who can get them, since many people prize rarity. Many tropical fruits are also particularly flavorful, sweet, juicy, and tender, making them appealing to people of all ages. Some tropical fruits, such as the banana, might not demand the attention that others so, but they’re still popular items. To market the exoticness, offer products that accentuate lesser known and more out of the ordinary varieties.
Define Tropical
Tropical fruit is any fruit produced by a tree native to the tropics. The tropics are generally defined as the region of the globe between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the environmental conditions there are unique, creating a habitat for incredibly diverse animals and plants. Plants in this area have adapted to this climate, and many tropical fruits are large, brightly colored, and very flavorful so that they appeal to the animals they rely on to distribute their seeds.
Established Tropical in the Bakery
While bananas are probably the most common tropical fruit ingredient in the bakery, others exist that will still enhance your offerings without becoming too exotic. Coconut and pineapple give bakery products a great tropical feel, but still appeal to more conservative bakery shoppers. Pies, cakes, cupcakes and cookies represent some of the more common products that a bakery can offer using these tropical fruits and flavors.
Best Products
To capture both the coconut and pineapple flavors, develop the piña colada flavor. This flavor works especially well in mousses. A piña colada mousse cake gives customers a feel of the tropics in both flavor and mood. Mousses represent a great way to incorporate tropical fruits and flavors into your bakery’s menu of products.
Another tropical fruit that lends itself to a mousse cake is mango. While mango is well known, it still represents a certain daring when it comes to traditional bakery flavors. Mango also works well in a cheesecake.
Another way to use tropical fruits in your bakery is through jelly cakes. Porto’s in California has seen solid success with its guava jelly cake. The moistness of a jelly cake sets of the juicy sweetness of tropical fruit making it an instant favorite for shoppers looking for rich flavors and texture.
Garnish
The easiest way for a bakery to introduce tropical fruits into the lineup is to simply use them as a garnish. Take a high-production cake, cheesecake, cupcake, etc., and garnish a few of them with a fresh tropical fruit. These will introduce the more conservative shopper to tropical fruit and attract the adventurous shopper.
