A man with love for food and culture, Mr Chee Kong from Green Patch discovered microgreens (also known as micro herbs) back when he was travelling to Europe and Asia. An uncommon source of fibres in Malaysia, microgreens are ubiquitously used in dishes overseas.
So what exactly are microgreens?
Microgreens are common vegetables grown in every part of the world. Common microgreens include rockets, cilantro, parsley, bak choy -- essentially vegetables we can find in markets and grocers. They are harvested about two weeks after planting, just when the cotyledon leaves have grown.
Microgreens serve as nutritional supplements to food. Chefs love them for their garnishing values, colours, texture and rich flavour.
In Malaysia, the F&B industries relied on import for microgreens supply albeit time-consuming and costly. However, by the time the microgreens arrived, half of them would have already started to wilt.
This is a gap of opportunity where Chee Kong comes in, together with his indoor farming company, Green Patch, to become the local provider of microgreens. In the beginning, he experimented with growing 14 types of microgreens under one environment. According to Chee Kong, every plant has its own requirements, distinctive ‘character’. Only through trials and errors that he can understand the needs of each plant.
The bridging side of work is equally important. He sees communication with other chefs as a form of collaboration to cater to their craft in cooking. Through listening to their demands and feedbacks, Chee Kong knows how to package his products in the most preferable way for chefs alike.
Sadly, Malaysians are not quite aware of the benefits of microgreens. Raising market awareness is one thing Green Patch would like to focus on this year. He urges us all to start growing; there’s no reason we shouldn’t because even a small space on the desk is sufficient for microgreens. Give yourselves two weeks to yield the happiness of harvesting, indulge ourselves in a sense of achievement, starting from something easy.
Want to know how to get started with your own vegetable farm at home through urban farming? Simply reach out to us at francis@urbanfarmtech.net or give us a call at
+6012 666 7474 and look for Francis.