K Fresh by First Pick: Premium Korean Vegetables & Fruits in Malaysia

Korean courgettes, nicknamed incubator pumpkins, with a juicy crunch that lingers after cooking; enoki mushrooms with a vibrant golden hue, delicately earthy with a firm bite; kiwifruits that might taste surprisingly like strawberries, ripe off the vine: The harvest of South Korea's most dedicated farmers is now available in Malaysia, offered at top grocers and online, courtesy of K Fresh by First Pick.

K Fresh is powered by a collaboration between the South Korean government-invested Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corporation and leading Malaysian produce importer Euro-Atlantic Sdn Bhd. It brings a bounty of Korean vegetables and fruits to our country, some of which have never before been commercially sold in the Klang Valley.

As fall fades into winter, South Koreans are turning to fresh, natural produce for culinary comfort. Though travel will likely remain off-limits till spring, K Fresh enables Malaysians to taste the flavours and textures that Koreans cherish and take pride in, from crops both familiar and exotic, ready to eat or easy to prepare for your family at home.

Note: K Fresh will participate in a K Food Fair live session on Shopee today, Friday, 20 November 2020, at 3 pm to 3:45 pm. Follow Hantar Fresh on Shopee and stay tuned for updates. Viewers stand a chance to receive a free reusable shopping bag from K Fresh, and with the purchase of featured products, a free K Fresh cooler bag is included.

We visited Euro-Atlantic's KL headquarters recently for a peek at the K Fresh produce.

Customers can find special K Fresh chillers, decorated in royal blue designs, with more than 20 varieties of vegetables and fruits air-flown from Korea, at these retailers:

1. Jaya Grocer, Empire Shopping Gallery
2. Jaya Grocer, One Utama Shopping Centre
3. Village Grocer, Plaza Arkadia
4. Ben’s Independent Grocer, Publika
5. Urban Fresh, Setia City Mall
6. AEON, Mid Valley Megamall
7. AEON STYLE, Taman Maluri
8. AEON, One Utama Shopping Centre
9. Everrise, Imago Shopping Mall (Sabah)
10. City Grocer, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall (Sabah)
11. Maslee Express, Molek Pine 4 (Johor)
12. K Market, Puchong
13. K Market, Solaris

You can also purchase the produce online at:
1. Jaya Grocer (KL and Subang Jaya areas only)
2. Supplybunny
3. Shopee

The Euro-Atlantic team travelled the breadth of South Korea in search of new and emerging sources, personally visiting farms, speaking to growers from different regions and evaluating their quality. Each ingredient chosen has a story to tell, woven into the fabric of how Korea cultivates its food.

The Incubator Pumpkin is the ideal introduction to K Fresh. Part of the zucchini family, this summer squash is perfect for pan-frying - slice it up and cook with sesame oil for an authentic preparation within minutes. Sprinkle chilli flakes and scatter cherry tomatoes for a wholesome bowl of lively goodness to charm even vegetable-haters. Plus, it's reputedly excellent for eyesight.

Also be sure to try the Golden Enoki Mushrooms, specifically grown to order in Korea and sealed in modified-atmosphere packaging that preserves their freshness. These thin and long-stemmed mushrooms, buoyantly crisp to the bite but tender to the chew, with an almost milky pepperiness, can be relished on their own, cooked perhaps with bulgogi sauce.

Or they can be mixed with a medley of K Fresh mushrooms, like the Matt Oyster and the white and brown Shimeji. All of K Fresh's produce is traditionally believed by Koreans to hold time-honoured health benefits - the Golden Enoki is rich in Vitamin B6, calcium, iron and fibre, having anti-inflammatory properties and boosting the immune system. The Matt Oyster mushrooms might help reduce cholesterol and weight, while the Shimeji mushrooms are known for high protein and fibre content.

If you're a fan of Korean barbecues, you've probably encountered and enjoyed the hot peppers that often form part of the banchan side dishes. K Fresh offers them in different degrees of fieriness, from tame to super-spicy - Dangjo to Asagi Gochu to Cheongyang - the first one is the most tolerable, a luscious addition to any salad or savoured on its own with gochujang sauce for extra heat. These peppers embrace the essence of K Fresh - pure and simple staples that bring consumers back to basics, straightforward to choose and prepare from scratch.

Many Malaysians prize Korean strawberries, but Korean-nurtured kiwifruit also deserves respect. K Fresh offers the temptations of Gold and Red kiwifruit from the orchards of Jeju island; the Red is delectably distinctive, crimson-hearted from a naturally occurring pigment that's linked to cardiovascular and cognitive health, with a flavour that tastes berry-tinged.

Ultimately, K Fresh ticks all the boxes for premium produce - variety and quality are assured, with versatility for how you can sumptuously use these ingredients in your kitchen (you can put them into everything from soups to pancakes to pastas).

Here is other produce to delight your taste buds and introduce them to a new world of genuinely Korean deliciousness.

Korean Ssam Cabbage - terrific for making kimchi and for our digestive system.

Korean perilla leaves - minty and reviving, the ideal wrap for meat and vegetables.

Korean white radish - turn this into a sweet-and-sour salad to perk up your palate.

Korean onions - brown-skinned and creamy-fleshed, a probiotic-rich source that's tasty for pickling.

Sweet potatoes galore - our favourite may be the Chestnut varietal, beautifully soft and nutty-tasting when steamed or baked.

Antioxidant-rich mini tomatoes, in red or multi-coloured varieties, all irreproachably sweet.

Potassium-rich Korean pumpkins that are buttery-smooth and intense in flavour - try making Korean pumpkin porridge out of this or simply oven-roast slices of it.