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Koppert Cress to Build New Long Island facility
by Matt DeLucia
Fine dining chefs in the New York Metro area now have access to a unique line of products from a company called Koppert Cress, but they will soon have even more access. The European company has been a leader in the European micro-vegetable market for the past 15 years, where they currently sell more then 20,000 boxes a week all over Europe. In January of this year, Frenchman Nicolas Mazard started the company’s first U.S. franchise, on Long Island, and thanks to their rapid success they are now building a new high-tech 100,000 square foot greenhouse there, which will be completed this November.
Based in the Netherlands in a town called Monster, Koppert Cress has been owned by Rob Baan since 2002. Baan had previously worked for seed maker Syngenta for 23 years, where he developed breeding and marketing projects for the vegetable seed industry in Asia. One of the most important differences in Koppert Cress’s products is the unique way it is delivered to restaurants. All the shoots are grown in punnets on a cellulose-based mat, and they are delivered intact that way, which keeps them alive before and during delivery, and for many days thereafter. When chefs are ready to use the product, they can pick just what they need. The patented Cress boxes are not unlike little mini greenhouses, and they stack easily as well for storage.
“Our micro-vegetables are marketed in their original natural fiber growing medium, and in that way they can meet the highest food safety requirements,” explains Mazard. “The product is alive, but not sandy!” The sprouts are grown year round and they are ready to be delivered between one and six weeks after planting.
Micro vegetables are not mini-vegetables or baby leaves, but rather young shoots of natural aromatic herbs and vegetables which are grown and selected for their appetizing and nutritious qualities. Unlike micro-greens which are used primarily as a garnish, micro-vegetables are used to the enhance flavor of existing dishes, and are also extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. Koppert Cress’s sprouts have been collected from all over the world, but they primarily originate from Asia - especially in Japan where these sprouts are a very basic item in cooking.
Koppert Cress’s miniature world of flavors, colors and scents includes Shiso® Purple, Borage Cress, Affilla Cress, and Sakura Cress® among others. The new U.S. division’s target is to sell more then 2000 boxes per week, and they are well on their way toward meeting that. “We are selling our collection of micro-vegetables for a very attractive price,” explains Mazard, “simply because our goal is that chefs use our Cress in their cooking for their taste and aromatic element, and not just for their decorative element.”
