A Flemish Reddit user has made a striking discovery during a trip through Mongolia. In a local Carrefour he suddenly came across a wide range of Belgian products. “The supermarket is full of Belgian apples, with flags and all!”, he sounds surprised.
Journalist at HLN
The man, who says he lives and works in China, went on holiday to Mongolia to discover the vast landscapes and nature. But the offer in the local Carrefour ultimately surprised him.
In his message he shares photos of Belgian BelOrta apples with black-yellow-red flags on the packaging. The fruit and vegetable auction confirms to the HLN editors that their products are actually sold there. “Apples are indeed in Mongolia, completely under the BelOrta brand. For them, that is a premium brand,” it said.
According to BelOrta, this mainly concerns larger apple varieties such as Jonagold. “They travel by truck from Belgium for up to three weeks. On an annual basis, this amounts to a few million kilos.”
Not a kilo of Pink Lady apples is grown in Belgium
However, apple exports are not a one-way street according to the company. “Belgium itself also imports apples from South Africa, New Zealand and Chile,” BelOrta explains. “Pink Lady, for example, is an apple variety that cannot be grown in Belgium, they are all imported apples. Not a kilo is grown on Belgian soil.”
Belgium is one of the largest growers and exporters of pears. An underestimated Belgian specialty sometimes
Not only apples find their way to distant export markets. “Pears go as far as China, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand,” says BelOrta. Belgium even appears to be a world player in pear cultivation. “We are one of the largest growers and exporters of pears. An underestimated Belgian specialty sometimes.”
About 400 million kilos of pears are grown in Belgium every year, including by BelOrta growers. No less than 94 percent of this is intended for export, both within and outside Europe.
Coffee cakes
In addition to apples and pears, other Belgian delicacies also appear to be popular in Mongolia. “Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, I was able to eat a round of suisse or an eclair again, something that is impossible to find in China,” the Reddit user finally writes. Belgian beer, cookies from Jules Destrooper and the famous chocolate seafood from Guylian can be found there. “All private label items display both the Dutch and French product names. No Mongolian or English to be seen,” it says.