The grape harvesting season is back in full swing in Australia and the juicy and bright-coloured table grapes have arrived on Malaysian shelves in sparkling varieties.
Malaysians will be able to enjoy the deliciously crunchy table grapes brought by Grown in Good Nature, a horticulture sub-brand by Hort Innovation Australia.
“Our precious grapes are exported to over 42 countries around the world. In Malaysia alone, our exports for table grapes have been gradually increasing with more and more Malaysians creating a demand for it.
“We foresee these numbers continuously growing in the months and years to come,” said Melanie Harris, Australia’s trade and investment commissioner of Malaysia and Brunei at the campaign launch at Aeon Mall Metro Prima, Kuala Lumpur on March 9, 2023.
Available over 40 varieties, the Australian table grapes are reknowned for their rich flavour, taste and plumpness. These table grapes are usually red, black or green in colour and are categorised into seeded and seedless varieties.
Four of the most popular types of table grapes are the Thompson Seedless, Flame Seedless, Crimson Seedless and Red Globe.
Australian table grapes have the highest fresh fruit horticultural export into Malaysia.
The launch of the “Anytime Is Grape Time” campaign signified the start of the season that generally runs from November to May with the peak export period running from January to May.
During the launch, Malaysia’s celebrity chef Datuk Chef Wan gave a special demonstration on the many ways to incorporate the fruit into meals and recipes.
“Grapes are so versatile and pair well with a large variety of specialty cheeses such as brie, blue cheese, ricotta as well as nuts.
“They can be the perfect addition to a sweet or savoury recipe for a refreshing twist. To further add, grapes are also perfect for children as they are bite sized, easy to pack and incredibly sweet,” he said.
When selecting grapes, the freshness of the fruit can be seen from the green stem and the presence of powdery white on the skin called bloom. Grapes which have bloom are generally picked more recently and had very little contact with moisture, which means it was transported through an efficient cold chain.
Also, another tip when selecting green grapes is to choose a bunch with a golden tint, as this means they are sweeter in flavour.
Australian table grapes are produced in the premier grape-growing region of Sunraysia (Mildura and Robinvale) in Victoria, and throughout South-eastern Queensland. Other growing regions include Carnarvon and the Swan Valley in Western Australia, the Riverina district in Central New South Wales, the South Australian Riverland and central Northern Territory.
The Australian table grapes are found in participating supermarkets, including Aeon, Jaya Grocer, TFP Retail, Lotuss, GCH Retail, Whole Foods Express and Star Grocer.
