Colruyt Group and De aardappelhoeve launch first Belgian-grown edamame beans
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
From today, fresh Belgian edamame beans will be on sale in Colruyt Lowest Prices stores for the very first time. Edamame beans are young soybeans which will now, for the first time, be grown locally, freshly packed and sold: a first for our country. De aardappelhoeve (the potato farm) based in Tielt and a long-standing partner of Colruyt Group, has cultivated the edamame beans and will market them exclusively at Colruyt Lowest Prices over the next two months. With the launch of this product, Colruyt Group once again underlines what it stands for: local partnerships focused on Belgian products, and support for innovative, sustainable (and protein-rich) crops. Grown here, enjoyed here.
Belgian partnership centred on a unique product: a first for our country.
Edamame beans are young, immature soybeans harvested while still green. In our country, they are best known as a snack and as a side dish with, for instance, sushi, after being briefly steamed or boiled. Because they are harvested "young", edamame beans contain more sugars and taste sweeter than mature soybeans, which are mainly used in processed products.
Green edamame beans are full of flavour and can be eaten fresh. They are a plant-based source of protein, but also provide fibre and carbohydrates, and these vegetables are rich in vitamins.
Until now, customers could only buy edamame beans from the frozen food section of Colruyt Group food stores. That's about to change. Belgian grower De aardappelhoeve has ensured that, for a limited period, a new reference can be added to the fresh produce range in Colruyt Lowest Prices stores. Kristof Bellemans, Colruyt Group buyer, adds: “We are offering them in the pod: this makes them perfect to put on the table as healthy appetisers/snacks. So the beans are eaten straight from the pod, but they can also be shelled and added to salads and poké bowls. A delicacy, and truly Belgian! It is a fine example of what Colruyt Group stands for as the only still genuinely Belgian retailer: focusing on constructive partnerships and local products".
The new reference, offered from 9 September under the Boni Plan't sub-brand in 200-gram portions, will be available in fresh markets for a maximum of two months in this first year. Wouter Devlies (De aardappelhoeve) explains why: “Because edamame beans are offered fresh, their shelf life is limited. In the longer term, though, we may look into freezing the pods, which would allow us to offer them year-round. But first we want to see how customers respond.
Sustainable crop in several respects
The edamame beans carefully cultivated by De aardappelhoeve, a long-standing and trusted partner of Colruyt Group. Marking the first time this crop has been grown in our country. Edamame beans are sown about mid-May once the risk of night frost has passed. “The timing of the harvest, which took place in early September, is crucial. We want to offer the customer a well-filled, green pod. If the crop ripens too much the pods turn yellow and the flavour also deteriorates", says Wouter Devlies of De aardappelhoeve.
The crop is highly suitable for crop rotation and brings plenty of extra oxygen into the soil. The crop leaves behind a well-rooted soil structure. The incorporated leaf mass further enriches the soil. “The next crop also benefits from the healthy soil left behind. The plant lives in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which means fertiliser requirements are low. In addition, soy is relatively resistant to disease and therefore requires minimum crop protection products", adds Wouter Devlies of De aardappelhoeve.
Kristof Bellemans of Colruyt Group also points out: “It also goes without saying that locally grown edamame beans are a more sustainable option than imported - often Chinese - products. Moreover, they tie in with the growing popularity of pulses as a plant-based protein source in a balanced diet, as well as with the commitments we have made as a supermarket in terms of the protein shift”.