By Bernard Rowan
Fruit is my favorite food ― after meat. Enjoying the varieties of fruit in Korea carries with it many fond memories. I enjoy fruit by myself as a snack, in family settings, in group parties, and while dining. We can enjoy it anytime. Korean farming methods, in many respects, keep qualities of "organic" agriculture. The fruit bought from roadside stands or specialty shops and grocery stores is delicious and rarely disappoints.
I love apples. They're my favorite fruit. And I believe they provide much medicine to keep healthy. Korea has wonderful, big, red apples. I am not sure of the variety, though Koreans call them "honey apples." I am going to guess they are like Fuji apples. I've read that Fuji varieties last longer. They have a wonderful taste. I can remember one fall day walking onto a side street in Pungnap-dong to find a cart of the most wonderful and delicious apples I'll ever taste. It made a memory for me, a simple yet wonderful memory. I have read that North Gyeongsang Province produces most of Korea's apple supply.
Summer makes many people think of melons, and Korea doesn't disappoint. Melons come in all sizes and shapes nowadays. There are the sweet yellow musk melons. And there are wonderful honeydew melons (I like a Korean popsicle made to taste like honeydews). And beyond melons, there are delicious tomatoes, which Koreans don't reserve just for salads. Another summer fruit is the pear. Korean pears are as tasty as Bartletts, Anjou, or Bosc pears. They make me think of sweet water. Also, we can enjoy red and purple grapes. Their deep colors match their good taste. I sometimes find the skins of the grapes too thick to eat.
I enjoy and recommend patbingsu, an ice confection composed of pineapple, kiwi, and other fruit pieces as well as red bean sauce over bits of ice. It's good to enjoy with a friend or in a group, especially on a hot summer day.
Fall is the season of gotgam, dried persimmons, as well as several varieties of persimmons. They're also eaten raw. Among what I read are three types of Korean persimmon, I like the less popular one. It's firmer in texture and can be sliced. The persimmon is Korea's national fruit.
One of the fruits I've only recently learned about is the translucent, light green and chewy fruit of the ginkgo biloba. Now the rage for health, they often show up as a side dish or snack in lounges and karaoke bars. The raw fruit is encased in a white shell. Shell and cook the seeds to achieve their waxy appearance and taste. I don't exactly like them, but I've eaten my fair share over the years. I'm always told, "They're good for health."
Let's not forget the wonderful tangerines of Jeju. When I visited, they littered the ground all over the place ― literally. I call these fruit "Clementines" instead of their larger cousins. A beautiful place and famed island paradise, Jeju is a land for enjoying this supreme but spritely form of the orange.
Other delicious Korean fruit include cherries, strawberries, pomegranates, oranges, peaches and apricots. For whatever reason, I've not eaten these fruits as much. It's likely by accident, as many are favorites.
When visiting a Korean city or small town, don't hesitate to enjoy locally grown produce and to buy it from roadside stands. I've never faced disappointment and often found the best-tasting fruit and vegetables this way.
Finally, I remember the fun of eating Korean fruit while singing with friends on an evening out. I often tasted watermelon and musk melon after dinner or lunch with friends. My point is eating in Korea means a group, family, or communal experience at its best. Somehow enjoying food fuses or merges with memories of happy times in company. We always can enjoy a solitary bite of the apple, but the food's full value occurs when taken with others.
Now, this is but a short survey of Korean fruit. There are so many more, as well as many imported from other countries. Do a Google search and type the words "Korean fruit" to see many images of these and other satisfying Korean foods.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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I love apples. They're my favorite fruit. And I believe they provide much medicine to keep healthy. Korea has wonderful, big, red apples. I am not sure of the variety, though Koreans call them "honey apples." I am going to guess they are like Fuji apples. I've read that Fuji varieties last longer. They have a wonderful taste. I can remember one fall day walking onto a side street in Pungnap-dong to find a cart of the most wonderful and delicious apples I'll ever taste. It made a memory for me, a simple yet wonderful memory. I have read that North Gyeongsang Province produces most of Korea's apple supply.
Summer makes many people think of melons, and Korea doesn't disappoint. Melons come in all sizes and shapes nowadays. There are the sweet yellow musk melons. And there are wonderful honeydew melons (I like a Korean popsicle made to taste like honeydews). And beyond melons, there are delicious tomatoes, which Koreans don't reserve just for salads. Another summer fruit is the pear. Korean pears are as tasty as Bartletts, Anjou, or Bosc pears. They make me think of sweet water. Also, we can enjoy red and purple grapes. Their deep colors match their good taste. I sometimes find the skins of the grapes too thick to eat.
I enjoy and recommend patbingsu, an ice confection composed of pineapple, kiwi, and other fruit pieces as well as red bean sauce over bits of ice. It's good to enjoy with a friend or in a group, especially on a hot summer day.
Fall is the season of gotgam, dried persimmons, as well as several varieties of persimmons. They're also eaten raw. Among what I read are three types of Korean persimmon, I like the less popular one. It's firmer in texture and can be sliced. The persimmon is Korea's national fruit.
One of the fruits I've only recently learned about is the translucent, light green and chewy fruit of the ginkgo biloba. Now the rage for health, they often show up as a side dish or snack in lounges and karaoke bars. The raw fruit is encased in a white shell. Shell and cook the seeds to achieve their waxy appearance and taste. I don't exactly like them, but I've eaten my fair share over the years. I'm always told, "They're good for health."
Let's not forget the wonderful tangerines of Jeju. When I visited, they littered the ground all over the place ― literally. I call these fruit "Clementines" instead of their larger cousins. A beautiful place and famed island paradise, Jeju is a land for enjoying this supreme but spritely form of the orange.
Other delicious Korean fruit include cherries, strawberries, pomegranates, oranges, peaches and apricots. For whatever reason, I've not eaten these fruits as much. It's likely by accident, as many are favorites.
When visiting a Korean city or small town, don't hesitate to enjoy locally grown produce and to buy it from roadside stands. I've never faced disappointment and often found the best-tasting fruit and vegetables this way.
Finally, I remember the fun of eating Korean fruit while singing with friends on an evening out. I often tasted watermelon and musk melon after dinner or lunch with friends. My point is eating in Korea means a group, family, or communal experience at its best. Somehow enjoying food fuses or merges with memories of happy times in company. We always can enjoy a solitary bite of the apple, but the food's full value occurs when taken with others.
Now, this is but a short survey of Korean fruit. There are so many more, as well as many imported from other countries. Do a Google search and type the words "Korean fruit" to see many images of these and other satisfying Korean foods.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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