As of Sunday, February 1, 2009 Fresh Direct is proud to announce the new Sunday Delivery service for customers.

Please contact a sales representative for more details.

We are proud to present a new line of Fuyu Persimmons imported directly from Korea.

We are proud to introduce a new line of Chinese Mandarins. They are known as baby mandarins due to their smaller size (approximately 5 cm in diameter). We offer them in a master carton of 12 boxes weighing 1.5 lbs per box. The packaging are ideal for children or snacking and are very sweet and nutritious.

For more information, please contact a sales representative.

Congratulations Davis for winning the 2008 Ernest & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Pacific Region, in the Emerging Entrepreneur category!!

Kent Mangoes are known for their fiber-less meat, they don’t show as much color as other varieties when ripe.  They are usually readily available July – August.

Fully green when ripe, Keitt Mangos turn from an orange-green to bright green as they soften and ripen. Keitt mangoes are generally fiber-less, juicy, thin-seeded, and can be one of the largest mangoes available. Mangos contain enzymes useful for tenderizing meats and which also act as a digestive aid. They are generally available August – September.

Please note that effective Monday, August 25, 2008, Fresh Direct Produce will be moved to:

888 Malkin Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia. V6A 2K6

Tel: 604-255-1330

Fax: 604-255-1304

Front Sales Hours: 7:30AM – 12:00PM    Monday – Saturday

Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM   Monday – Saturday

We are proud to announce that Davis Yung has been selected for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 finalist.

Lychees are a very popular fruit amongst the Asian community during the summer months. Lychees are grown in trees and then harvested.

The fruit is a drupe, 3–4 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed. The rind usually a reddish colour when ripe and green when unripe. They are commonly oval shape with some oblong shape varieties.The fruit is peeled with a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C with texture similar to a grape.  The center contains a single glossy brown nut-like seed. The seed, similar to a buckeye seed, is slightly poisonous and should not be eaten.

Majority of the fruit is grown in the southern region of China, Taiwan and Thailand. In recent years, Australia has also contributed in the growth and export of the fruit. Common varieties that are sold in the market are Fei Zi Xiao (Concubine Smile), Ro Mei Chi, Jade Purse and Black Leaf. During the summer months, the fruit is imported into Canada and sold in the Asian market. Some of the fruit are also canned and sold in the supermarkets.

In recent years, the fruit is widely accepted and sold more commonly in the supermarkets. They are best eaten with ice cream, salads, and used in drinks.

There are many varieties of lychee but the most common in the local market are:

The Concubine Smiles (feizixiao, 妃子笑): Famed as the cultivar of lychee Emperor Xuanzong of Tang brought from the edges of the Tang empire to cheer up Yang Guifei, this lychee matures earlier than others, and has a very light red tint on its shells.

The Jade Purse (yuhebao, 玉荷包): Named because of its large fruits and the thick meat within. The seed is small.

 Black Leaves (heiye, 黑葉): This cultivar matures less than others, and has big meats and seeds. The shell exhibits a dark red tint.

Storage: Keep refrigerated at 1 degree Celcius for 3-5 days. It will keep better if the fruit is kept relatively dry.

The Mangosteen is a fruit that is unique to Southeast Asia and is also known as the “Queen of Fruits.” It is extremely hard to grow and often takes 8-15 years for a tree to bear fruits.

Mangosteens are a fragrant fruit which have sweet, creamy, and tangy flavor. The outer shell of the fruit is rather hard, typically 4-6 cm in diameter. The rind is dark purple marked by a yellowish resin. In terms of size and shape, the mangosteen is similar to the Japanese persimmon. Cutting through the shell, one finds a fruit shaped like a peeled tangerine but bright white flesh, about 3-5 cm in diameter, nested in a burgundy shell. Depending on the fruit size and ripeness, there might be seeds in the segments. The seeds, however, are not edible unless cooked.

Mangosteen juice is a dye which can be almost impossible to remove from fabric (the reason why they are banned from some hotels in countries where they are available).

According to researchers, mangosteen contains many healthy qualities such as help preventing anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities.

Eating preparations: Choose mangosteens where the shell still has a little give. When the shell is hardened, it means the fruit is already ripe or overripe. They are usually shipped fresh and ready to eat from Thailand.

To open a mangosteen, the shell is usually broken apart, one holds the fruit in both hands, and presses it gently (as if splitting it in half) until the shell cracks. It is then very easy to pull the halves apart along the crack and remove the fruit, taking care with the purplish, inky juice that the outer red part of the fruit contains.

Storage: The fresh fruit can be kept for 5-7 days at room temperature.

Mangoes are Phillipines national fruit, and the Phillipine Carabao mangoes are one of the best in the world.  They are rich in taste and low in fiber.  We have imported them by air to ensure the quality and freshness.