The daechu (대추, jujube) is a small fruit that you can find growing just as happily in the countryside as in the city, alongside sidewalks and between old brick buildings.
Categoryingredients
local, seasonal Korean ingredients
Doraji: A bittersweet root
There’s an old song in Korean about doraji (도라지, bellflower root).
Korea’s most common mushrooms
You can find them in marts around Korea year-round, but fall always gets us thinking of mushrooms.
Jeoneo: Spotted gizzard shad
Mention jeoneo (전어, spotted gizzard shad) anywhere in Korea, and someone is bound to bring up the popular saying “전어 굽는 냄새는 집 나간 며느리도 돌아오게 한다.”
Omija: The five-flavor berry
One of Korea’s most unique fruits, the omija (오미자, or Schisandra chinensis) berry, contains five distinct, fragrant flavors.
Chamoe: A must-eat summer melon, Korean yellow melon
There are two fruits that represent summer in Korea: One is watermelon, and the other is chamoe. When you see chamoe start to appear in the markets, it’s a sign that summer is truly here.
Ggot-gae: Kind of blue crab
Ggot-gae (꽃게) is Korea’s best-loved crab, prized for its sweet flesh and soft shell.
Gomchwi: a pungent mountain herb
Jirisan, or Mt. Jiri, has a special place in the minds and hearts of Koreans—it’s often viewed as a wild place, a vast place, a place where nature still has some power.