The time is ripe for Northwest Cherries as it makes its sweet explosive entrance into the Malaysian fruit scene. Fresh off the orchards in the North-western states of USA, these cherries have become one of the most sought-after cherries thanks to its sweetness, firmness and consistency in colour. Over 2,500 growers work tirelessly to bring the world the sweetest, juiciest, plumpest cherries ripened on the trees. The US is currently the second-largest cherry exporter of the world and one of the leading exporters of cherries to Malaysia.

Mr Abdul Ghani Wahab, Agriculture Specialist, United States Department of Agriculture who was present to officially launch the new season recently, stated that Northwest Cherries are grown on fertile soil with a climate that is ideal for great quality cherries the world loves. “There are 11 varieties of Northwest Cherries and we believe our cherries are the most delicious cherries in the world! We hope more Malaysians will try these juicy fruits while they’re in season until end August for health as well as for snacking pleasure.”

Retna Malar, Northwest Cherry Growers Market Representative provided informative notes on the harvest of cherries throughout the season – “Northwest Cherries offer a wide growth spread across many regions throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Montana. The different microclimates allow cherries to ripen at different times through the season ensuring fresh harvest all summer long. The Northwest Cherries that you enjoy are never more than a few days from the tree.”

One cup, or about 21 cherries, contains less than 100 calories. This coupled with its low GI ranking compared to many other fruits make it a nutritional rock-star for those watching their weight, health or just leading an active lifestyle.

One of the best kept secrets on cherries is its anti-inflammatory properties which aid in muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness after a workout. The fruit packs antioxidants, vitamins C and E as well as carotenoids and polyphenols, all of which help quash damaging free radicals and help neutralize inflammation in your body.

On a mission to spread the goodness of Cherries, Northwest Cherries recently launched a “Cheers to Cherries” campaign in partnership with fitness guru Kevin Zahri and retail chain Tesco. The campaign aims to inspire health-conscious Malaysians to cherry on for a healthier fitness lifestyle.

Kevin Zahri, affectionately known as Cikgu Fitness Malaysia kicked off the campaign with an exciting sweat session demonstrating a few types of trending CrossFit workouts to get the heart pumping and muscle working.

Fit as a fiddle, Kevin is a certified trainer and nutritionist with many years of experience and extensive knowledge on fitness and health. Kevin has been very involved with the fitness scene in Malaysia, having published books, Ebooks as well as written for various fitness and lifestyle magazines. He is also the founder of Malaysia’s largest weight loss movement called ‘Jom Kurus’,

Kevin stressed on the fact that part of staying healthy is not just in the work-outs and active lifestyle but also in keeping your body nourished.

“It is very important to not strain your body beyond its fitness capacity. There is a period of time when your body needs time to recover and for the muscle tissues to repair itself, especially after an intense workout. Northwest Cherries have great anti-inflammatory properties and is nature’s gift to us”, he added as he demonstrated Cherries Oat Jar which is a great post-workout snack. The cherries lend its natural sweetness while pulling all the ingredients effortlessly with its distinctive flavour.

The Fresh Produce Director of Tesco (M) Sdn Bhd, Mr Julien Andre shared how excited consumers get when the cherries are in season. “Cherries have an amazing consumer appeal as they are juicy and sweet and easy to snack on. More and more people are starting to gain awareness on cherries as a superfood and its now a much sought-after fruit. We’re glad to be able to offer the freshest fruits from Northwest Cherries at Tesco stores this season.”

Next time you roam the aisles of the grocery store, stock up on some Northwest Cherries, the diamond of fruits, in season from June to end-August this year.

ABOUT NORTHWEST CHERRIES 

The Washington State Fruit Commission was founded in 1947 as a non-profit organization funded by grower assessments for the purpose of promotion, market development, research, and education for soft fruits grown in Washington State.

Fruit representation has shifted over the years. Peaches, prunes, plums, cherries, and apricots were included in the original law and nectarines were added in 1984. The commission promoted Italian Prunes as Northwest Prune Plums with Oregon and Idaho from the 1960s through 1983. As of 1984, Washington began promoting other plum varieties and promotions were defined as Washington Prunes and Washington Plums.

Northwest sweet cherry growers had been informally promoting their sweet cherries together for several years, but in the 1950s, Washington and Oregon sweet cherry growers joined in formal promotions. Idaho joined in 1966, at which time the Northwest Cherry Growers was officially organized. Utah joined in 1967 and Montana joined in 2008.

To find out more, please visit Northwest Cherries’ website at www.nwcherries.com and also on social media pages, Facebook: www.facebook.com/NorthwestCherriesTH or Instagram: @northwestcherries.my