Bel Oro - beautiful gold - describes a colour as much as a taste. This fruit will come
to be associated with a unique, sweet flavour, part of the new spectrum of tropical
and temperate fruits being eagerly accepted into Australian kitchens.
You can't miss the bright golden-yellow colour of a ripe Bel Oro; and with naturally
high sweetness, Bel Oro has a taste the whole family will love. The dense,
apricot-coloured flesh, easy-to-slice shape and texture is moorish in its natural form
or conducive to a broad range of dishes.
Thought to originate in far north-east Asia, the Bel Oro fruit could have easily been
included among the mainstream, but is only now making an impact through the
endeavours of a close knit group of Queensland farming entrepreneurs.
"Catching the eye of the consumers, the distinctive appearance of Bel Oro clearly
differentiates the product in the Australian melon category", said Jason Beeston,
Marketing and Wholesale Manager, BeeMart Enterprises, Queensland.
BeeMart partner Ken Duncan is known as the developer and grower of Ken's Special
(Kent or Jap) pumpkins and he and his football mate Keith Martens are among some
of Australia's best melon growers
Leading chefs have already discovered many unique ways to prepare and present
this luscious new fruit, the potential is endless for this superior alternative,
adaptable from a simple fruit platter at home to dynamic invention within a modern
restaurant.
The Bel Oro has a long growing season exceeding three months, with an
exceptional shelf life at least as long if kept in cool storage. The Bel Oro is bred to
maintain its texture, sweetness and flavour once harvested; offering restaurateurs
and retailers a dependably ripe, attractive fruit with uniquely consistent weight,
durability and richness of flavour.
"Initial trials last year generated enthusiastic interest from the Australian and Asian
markets. The attributes of the Bel Oro are highly sought-after by food service
providers and retailers" said Beeston.
Bel Oro's nutritional benefits abound, being high in a wide range of essential
vitamins and antioxidants, as well as low GI and fat-free.
"It has been a long but exciting road to finally reach the goal of commercially
growing our first crops of Bel Oro. To be able to grow a product that has so much
interest not only in the markets, but from the public has been a privilege to be a
part of," said Ken.
Jason Beeston and his dad Neville are responsible for the wholesaling, packing and
marketing of BeeMart's superb produce - cultivated in the rich farmlands of
Bundaberg, Lakelands, Chinchilla and Ayr in the Burdekin region of North
Queensland.
These Queenslanders saw much of their land inundated by the 2010 and 2011
floods, but have placed their faith firmly in this delicious new fruit variety.
