Calmei, Inc. is the first producer to cultivate yangmei (also known as Chinese bayberries or yumberries) in the United States. This unique fruit is wildly popular in China but hard to find elsewhere. Now, it’s available for purchase every summer right here on Airmart.
What does yangmei taste like?
The taste of yangmei is often likened to a mix of strawberry, mulberry, and pomegranate. However, it’s hard to pinpoint the flavor exactly, so you’ll have to try it for yourself!
Backyard beginnings
Growing up, Calmei co-founder Yunfei Chen was surrounded by yangmei. In fact, his home region in China’s Zhejiang Province was known for its yangmei production. But when Yunfei came to the States to study biology, the delicious fruit he grew up on was nowhere to be found.
In 2009, he set out to change that by planting a yangmei seed in his own backyard. Then, with the help of the California Rare Fruit Growers organization, he imported yangmei trees from China and grafted those cuttings onto his seed-grown trees. After years of trial and error, Yunfei was finally able to harvest superior-quality yangmei.
In the summer of 2019, Calmei sold its first harvest in San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Market.
Yunfei’s Fremont backyard is now famous for serving as the birthplace of yangmei in America. But it’s not the only production site. Calmei now has a whole family of commercial growers including farms across the Bay Area.
Buy yangmei on Airmart
Calmei cultivates four varieties of yumberry:
- The Eastern Giant: This is the largest variety, weighing in at 37 grams at most. The tasting notes for this particular yumberry are blood orange, rum punch, summer strawberry, and yuzu.
- The Purple Pearl: A deep purple color rather than the usual red, this unique variety has notes of sugar cane and Douglas fir.
- Sweet Violet: These newer berries are a larger, perfectly round version of the Purple Pearl.
- Crystal: One of the more popular varieties in China, this yumberry stands out as a creamy-white variety with light pink accents.
The Eastern Giant, Purple Pearl, and Sweet Violet yangmei varieties sell for $50 per pound, while the prized Crystal berry goes for $70 per pound.
Calmei can ship large orders across the United States and offers wholesale discounts of around 30%. For wholesale orders, please get in touch with our team.
Calmei is also offering fig cuttings for sale for propagation. To learn more, contact us using the link above.