Fruit (1)
Seafood (4)
Spotted Flounder
Dodari is the spring counterpart to winter flounder, traditionally simmered with new mugwort in...
Anchovy
Spring anchovies are large enough to eat fresh — grilled or raw — rather than dried. Dried ancho...
Littleneck Clam
Spring clams are at their plumpest before spawning. The base for kalguksu broth and the classic...
Webfoot Octopus
Small and tender, jjukkumi peaks in spring when the head fills with rice-like eggs. Usually stir...
Mushroom (1)
Greens & Herbs (8)
Bracken Fern
Picked young, boiled and dried for storage, then rehydrated. Gosari is one of the fixed namul on...
Shepherd's Purse
One of the first spring greens. Root and leaf are both used — dropped into doenjang stew for a n...
Wild Chive
Dallae has a tiny white bulb and sharp garlic-onion bite. Chopped raw into a soy dressing spoone...
Aralia Shoots
Durup are the young shoots of the angelica tree, briefly blanched and dipped in chogochujang. Nu...
Fatsia Shoots
A softer, more herbal cousin of durup, eaten the same way: blanched briefly and dipped, so the a...
Butterbur
Deliberately bitter. Young leaves and stalks are blanched to soften the edge, then dressed with...
Water Parsley
Minari is crunchy, stemmy and clean-tasting. Blanched as namul, piled into fish stews, or eaten...
Aster Scaber
Chwinamul is the most aromatic of the mountain greens — blanched and sesame-dressed, or wrapped...
At a glance
| Item | Korean | Category | Peak months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry | 딸기 | Fruit | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May |
| Spotted Flounder | 도다리 | Seafood | Mar, Apr |
| Anchovy | 멸치 | Seafood | Apr, May, Jun |
| Littleneck Clam | 바지락 | Seafood | Mar, Apr, May |
| Webfoot Octopus | 주꾸미 | Seafood | Mar, Apr, May |
| Shiitake | 표고버섯 | Mushroom | Apr, May, Sep, Oct |
| Bracken Fern | 고사리 | Greens & Herbs | Apr, May |
| Shepherd's Purse | 냉이 | Greens & Herbs | Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Wild Chive | 달래 | Greens & Herbs | Mar, Apr |
| Aralia Shoots | 두릅 | Greens & Herbs | Apr, May |
| Fatsia Shoots | 두릅나물 | Greens & Herbs | Apr, May |
| Butterbur | 머위 | Greens & Herbs | Mar, Apr |
| Water Parsley | 미나리 | Greens & Herbs | Mar, Apr, May |
| Aster Scaber | 취나물 | Greens & Herbs | Apr, May |