Papaya has become the most in-demand fruit in the UK (Image: Getty)
Papaya has become the most in-demand fruit in the UK, supermarkets say, with sales rocketing by nearly 160% in just a year.
Other exotic fruit such as kiwis, mangos, passion fruit, persimmon, dates and coconut have proven popular with consumers keento recreate meals from far-flung holidays.
But the current craze for papaya, inset – an orange, melon-like fruit which is mainly grown in tropical climates within South America – outstrips them all.
Tesco reported sales of papaya rocketing by almost 160% in the past 12 months – while its sales of kiwis are up by nearly 90%, mangos by almost 80%, passion fruit by 50%, persimmon by 45%, dates by 35% and coconut by 15%.
Tropical fruit has become the fastest-growing sector of the UK fruit market in the past year, with demand soaring by nearly 30% in amarket that is now worth £460million a year.
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Other exotic fruit such as kiwis, mangos proven popular with consumers keen to recreate meals (Image: Getty)
Tesco’s Maksim Ivanov said: “Not so long ago pineapples, coconuts, passion fruit, pomegranate and nectarines were still considered exotic to your average shopper.
“But now, as those fruits have become more mainstream, shoppers are turning to more unusual varieties with which to excite their taste buds and even impress their friends at dinner parties.”
He added: “A key factor driving UK sales of tropical fruit is the fall in the price of travel and boom of Caribbean and Far Eastern countries as holiday destinations.
“Many people try fruits out there and are interested in buying them back home.”
Papaya is a rich source of Vitamin C which protects cells from damage and also helps form collagen.
It is important for normal bones, gums, teeth and skin while helpinh the immune and nervous systems function normally.
It was recently reported that only a third of adults – and just 12% of 11 to 18-year-olds – eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.