Forget Korea, the sweetest strawberries are now grown in Malaysia with help from Japan

Chitose, in Japanese, means 1,000 years. So through the millennia, the Chitose Agriculture Initiative (CAI) wants to improve and promote sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia.

Founder Tomohiro Fujita decided to launch the Singapore-based biotechnology establishment after noticing that while the region flourishes economically, we aren't yet matured in producing food in an ecological way.

Thus, CAI partners with more than 50 artisan farms in Japan and Malaysia to evaluate different agricultural conditions while also educating and enlisting the help of local workers.

You can now forget about consuming sour strawberries from Cameron Highlands ever again. The expert agronomists at CAI have virtually perfected the use of its cutting-edge Japanese nous to produce some of the juiciest strawberries through re-cultivating the land in the popular Malaysian mountain ranges. These consistent harvests are now distributed across our sunny shores - from fine restaurants to the doorsteps of homes.

"We connected over a strawberry," said head chef Jerome of Nude Seafood, one of the suppliers of Chitose's premium strawberries, which are sold in a pack of about 200g. During a recent menu collaboration between CAI and the restaurant located at Marina Bay Financial Centre, dishes were presented that truly highlighted the high-quality Asian produce on a plate.

But if you want to get your hands on these year-round fresh strawberries without leaving the comfort of your abode, place an order online. The handpicked goodness can be delivered within 48 hours from harvest. Besides strawberries, plump cherry tomatoes cultivated by CAI from Cameron Highlands are also on sale while other seasonal ingredients air-flown from Japan, such as Bochan Kaocha pumpkin from Hokkaido and cauliflower from Aomori, are available in an omakase-style box.

In line with sharing the diverse cultural and technological perspectives from both sides of production and consumption, CAI includes a magazine in its omakase box to help consumers get to know more about the produce, be updated with the efforts that the company is undertaking, and be acquainted with the community of artisan farmers through their personal stories.

For more information or to place online orders, click here.

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