• Botanical name: Beta vulgaris
• Distinctive features: Biennial crops that can be cultivated in temperate climates.
• Harvest periods: August-October
• Nutritional profile: Rich source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals due to its carbohydrate content. Beet intake has been associated with improved performance and increased tolerance to fatigue during exercise.

• Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides
• Distinctive features: Native to South East Asia, this plant thrives in temperate and subtropical climates and can grow up to 3 meters tall. The fruit is well-known for its effective colouring properties and myriad health benefits in traditional Chinese medicine.
• Harvest periods: September-November. The dried ripe fruits are harvested once they begin turning yellow.
• Nutritional profile: The fruit has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, liver cirrhosis, and pyogenic infections. Genipin, more specifically, is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-depressive properties. As a functional supplement, the fruit offers photoprotective properties for skin health.

• Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
• Distinctive features: Mainly cultivated in China and India, the paprika plant grows in well-drained soil.
• Harvest periods: April–October, depending on the fruit's maturity.
• Nutritional profile: Paprika is a naturally rich source of vitamin C while its carotenoids have been shown to have potential DNA-protection and antioxidant benefits.

• Botanical name: Arthrospira platensis
• Distinctive features: Large-scale spirulina cultivations are primarily found in China and India. One of the biggest challenges of growing spirulina, however, is striking the right balance between water alkalinity and plentiful sunlight to ensure the highest possible phycocyanin content. Open-air pond cultivation settings are typically the best, but growers must monitor water and air quality closely to maintain utmost purity.
• Harvest periods: April–October
• Nutritional profile: Spirulina is considered a superfood, containing a high concentration of protein (up to 70%) and other micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, chlorophyl, carotenoids, and the powerful antioxidant compound, phycocyanin.

• Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides
• Distinctive features: Native to Southeast Asia, the plant thrives in temperate, subtropical climates, where it can grow up to 3 meters tall. The fruit has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and is well-known for its natural colouring properties.
• Harvest periods: September–November. The dried ripe fruits of G. jasminoides are typically harvested when they begin to turn yellow.
• Nutritional profile: The fruit of gardenia has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, liver cirrhosis, and pyogenic infections. Genipin, specifically, has been shown to offer a variety of anti-inflammatory and anti-depressive benefits. As a dietary supplement, the photoprotective properties of Gardenia jasminoides have often been used to support skin health.

• Botanical name: Clitoria ternatea
• Distinctive features: The butterfly pea is a perennial leguminous that grows best in tropical regions offering moist soil, high temperatures, and plentiful sunlight. The vines grow quickly, typically in 60-day cycles.
• Harvest periods: TBD
• Nutritional profile: Consummed as an herbal tea for centuries, the butterfly pea has been studied in animals for various pharmacologic benefits, including a range of anti-inflammatory and nootropic properties, likely linked to its high flavonol and anthocyanin content.

• Distinctive features: The carotene fungus can be obtained via fermentation with Blakeslea trispora strains.
• Nutritional profile: When Pro-Vitamin A is consumed, it is converted into essential vitamin A (retinol) by the body to support vision, skin health, and immunity. Vitamin A is naturally present in fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, butternut squash, etc.

• Botanical name: Ipomoea batatas
• Distinctive features: A very common vegetable that grows all year long in both tropical and colder climates—as long as there is at least a 3-month frost-free period. Sweet potato tubers can be white, yellow, orange, red and purple. All varieties are edible, but red and purple sweet potatoes are used specifically by the colour industry for their high concentration of colour pigments.
• Harvest periods: All year-round.
• Nutritional profile: Not only delicious, sweet potatoes are high in protein and a source of carbohydrates. Purple sweet potatoes, more specifically, contain high levels of anthocyanins: polyphenols offering antioxidant properties that have been shown to protect cell DNA along with other potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits.

• Botanical name: Brassica oleracea
• Distinctive features: A common edible vegetable with origins in Europe, red cabbage is now cultivated and harvested all over the world in a wide range of soils and climates (including in high-frost zones).
• Harvest periods: August-November
• Nutritional profile: Red cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked, with both preparations offering a high source of fiber, vitamins C and K, minerals, and powerful bioactives like beta-carotene and anthocyanins.

• Botanical name: Daucus carota
• Distinctive features: Similar to orange carrots, black carrots also grow in well-draining sandy soil in virtually any climate—temperate to warm temperatures are preferred.
• Harvest periods: TBD
• Nutritional profile: Carrots are the most popular vegetable after potatoes. Although orange carrots are the most well-known variety, the availability of purple and black carrots is seeing an uptick in Western Europe. Because black carrots have a higher concentration of anthocyanins and other antioxidant properties than orange carrots, they are seen as a more nutritionally-valuable ingredient.

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• Botanical name: Curcuma longa L.
• Distinctive features: A perennial plant that grows to ~one meter (three feet) high. Mainly cultivated in China, India, and Southeast Asia, the plant requires temperatures ranging from 20-30°C and a high quantity of water.
• Harvest periods: January–April
• Nutritional profile: Turmeric rhizomes are used as a spice in Asian cuisine, offering valuable health benefits thanks to a high concentration of curcuminoïds phytoactives. As a dietary supplement, turmeric has a proven track-record of improving joint health—thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties—digestive health, and skin health. Research continues to pinpoint other benefits associated with curcuminoïds.

• Botanical name: Carthamus tinctorius
• Distinctive features: Mainly cultivated in China and India at high altitudes with limited humidity.
• Harvest periods: Flowers are hand-plucked in August (annual harvest).
• Nutritional profile: The flowers and seeds of the safflower plant have been used in Chinese and Persian traditional medicine for centuries, primarily for treating cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and gynecological conditions. The linoleic acid present in safflower seed oil may also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides
• Distinctive features: Native to Southeast Asia, the plant thrives in temperate, subtropical climates, where it can grow up to 3 meters tall. The fruit has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and is well-known for its natural colouring properties.
• Harvest periods: September–November. The dried ripe fruits of G. jasminoides are typically harvested when they begin to turn yellow.
• Nutritional profile: The fruit of gardenia has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, liver cirrhosis, and pyogenic infections. Genipin, specifically, has been shown to offer a variety of anti-inflammatory and anti-depressive benefits. As a dietary supplement, the photoprotective properties of Gardenia jasminoides have often been used to support skin health.

• Botanical name: Tagetes erecta
• Distinctive features: Versatile plant that can grow in different types of soil in various geographical areas around the world.
• Harvest periods: June-August (annual harvest)
• Nutritional profile: As a dietary supplement, lutein is often used for its anti-inflammatory properties. Clinical studies have shown potential benefits for preventing age-related macular disease.