Travel with your tastebuds: Kooky brand brings exotic super fruits of the world to the U.K.
14 Jul 21
With COVID restrictions still limiting much overseas travel, a fruity new brand is offering customers the chance to travel with their taste buds by indulging in a range of exotic snacks from far-flung destinations.
Launched earlier this month, Kooky’s quirky product range of super fruits includes freeze-dried, light and crispy jackfruit, mango and mangosteen, and gently dried, soft and chewy banana and dragon fruit.
Born out of the founders’ desire to share the beauty of exotic, super fruits in ways people haven’t experienced before, the Kooky range promises striking colours, deliciously different textures and flavours, and remarkable nutritional benefits. Considered extraordinary wonders of the natural world, super fruits have previously been difficult to attain for those without the resources to travel. Thanks to Kooky, these delicacies are now both more accessible and affordable.
Dried to retain the goodness, Kooky’s range of beautifully unusual snacks are 100% fruit, comprising one of your five-a-day. Convenient, guilt-free and full of flavour, the snacks are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will keep customers looking and feeling great whilst bringing the best fruits of the East to the West.
Kooky's Hero Box, for example, offers a collection of superhero fruits that are antioxidant powerhouses, energy-boosting and rich in essential nutrients. Incorporating dragon fruit, jackfruit and mangosteen, this combination box features a trio of delicious flavours, varied textures and health benefits ranging from immune, digestive, cardio-vascular to beauty.
Often referred to as the most exquisite fruit of the tropics, the mangosteen packet is one of Kooky’s champion products. Subtly sweet and refreshingly tangy, it’s no surprise Queen Victoria was rumoured to be a fan of the mangosteen - reportedly granting a knighthood to anyone who brought her one. Whether true or not, this has earned mangosteen the title of "queen of fruits" - and it is certainly the jewel of the Kooky crown! As well as tasting great, Mangosteen provides a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre while being low in calories. Research also suggests that antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in mangosteen may protect skin cells from damage associated with sun exposure and ageing, so the benefits are vast.
Kooky's other rockstar product is the freeze-dried jackfruit packet. Grown in parts of Asia, the jackfruit is the largest fruit found on a tree. It belongs to the same family as figs and mulberries, but it doesn’t look or taste anything like either! Instead, jackfruit has a delightfully sweet, tropical flavour, somewhere between pineapple and mango. Already a popular meat substitute amongst veggie-lovers, jackfruit is quickly gaining mainstream appeal for its robust flavour, unusual texture and host of health benefits. Just like avocado and peach, it contains natural latex. It is a powerful antioxidant and great for the immune system.
The dragon fruit packet is the final flavour to make up the Hero Box. Also known as 'pitaya' or 'strawberry pear', dragon fruit is a tropical fruit famous for its vibrant red skin and sweet, seed-speckled pulp. Cultivated primarily in Asia, Mexico, Central America, and South America, this exotic treat - which is often likened in taste to a combination of kiwi and pear - is thought to have many health benefits. Rich in vitamin C, dragon fruit can give your immune system a boost and helps defend your body against germs, bacteria and free radicals. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also reduce inflammation, whilst the fibre in dragon fruit can help people stay fuller for longer and normalize blood sugar levels.
The brainchild of two mothers, Aline Burgmann and Deena Tan, Kooky has been two years in development. Bonding over their Asian roots and Western upbringings at the school gates, they recognised a shared passion for exotic fruit. The duo created Kooky, intending to bring the best fruits of the East to the West by utilising unique relationships with Thai farmers that serve to empower local producers.
Discussing their new business venture, Deena said: “Our aim is to introduce consumers to a different taste palate and broaden their minds with a variety of uncommon fruits that are beautifully unusual, just like how we are all unique in our own ways. We hope that customers will embrace and enjoy our offerings – not only for their antioxidant and nutrient-rich profiles, but also for their unusual and quirky physical appearance, eye-catching colours and unique flavours.”
Available to buy now from Kooky’s online ‘frui-tique’: www.iamkooky.com.
Kooky's Hero Box is priced at £10.95 and features the following packets: 2 x dragon fruit, 2 x jackfruit and 1 x mangosteen.
Separate boxes containing five packets of each of these individual flavours are also available for superfans of these fantastic fruits.
A special launch discount of 15% will apply to all orders made before 15th September 2021.