Fruit (3)
Tangerine
Jeju tangerines are the Korean winter fruit — sold by the box and eaten by the handful. Thin-ski...
Yuzu
Highly aromatic and too sharp to eat raw — sliced with sugar into yuja-cheong marmalade and diss...
Hallabong
A large, bump-topped Jeju citrus — sweeter and more aromatic than a regular tangerine, and price...
Vegetable (5)
Korean Radish
Mu is fat, dense and mildly sweet, unlike a slim daikon. Winter radish is the sweetest — used fo...
Napa Cabbage
The backbone of kimchi. Late-autumn and winter baechu is dense and sweet, which is why gimjang k...
Spinach
Winter spinach grows short and thick-leaved, and sweetens in the cold. Blanched and dressed with...
Lotus Root
Crunchy and lacy in cross-section, lotus root is simmered in soy and mirin (yeongeun-jorim) or s...
Burdock Root
Earthy and fibrous, burdock is julienned and braised in soy, or rolled into gimbap for texture.
Seafood (9)
Gwamegi
Half-dried saury or herring, freeze-dried outdoors through winter in Guryongpo. Rich and oily, w...
Olive Flounder
Korea's most common raw-fish choice. Firm, clean-tasting white flesh, sliced thin as hoe with ch...
Oyster
Korean oysters are small, briny and best from late autumn through winter. Eaten raw with chogoch...
Cockle
Boseong-area cockles are a winter fixture — briefly boiled, shells twisted open, and dressed wit...
Snow Crab
Winter snow crab from the east coast, especially Yeongdeok. Steamed whole; the shell is then use...
Cod
Winter cod is used for clear daegu-tang soup rather than frying — the roe and milt are prized as...
Yellowtail
Winter bangeo is fat-marbled and rich, at its best from Jeju. Served as thick-cut sashimi; the l...
Spanish Mackerel
Samchi is softer and milder than common mackerel, with fat peaking in the cold months. Salt-gril...
Mussel
Winter mussels are plump and cheap, steamed by the potful with garlic and chili or simmered into...
Greens & Herbs (1)
At a glance
| Item | Korean | Category | Peak months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangerine | 귤 | Fruit | Jan, Nov, Dec |
| Yuzu | 유자 | Fruit | Nov, Dec |
| Hallabong | 한라봉 | Fruit | Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec |
| Korean Radish | 무 | Vegetable | Jan, Nov, Dec |
| Napa Cabbage | 배추 | Vegetable | Nov, Dec |
| Spinach | 시금치 | Vegetable | Jan, Feb, Dec |
| Lotus Root | 연근 | Vegetable | Nov, Dec |
| Burdock Root | 우엉 | Vegetable | Nov, Dec |
| Gwamegi | 과메기 | Seafood | Jan, Nov, Dec |
| Olive Flounder | 광어 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Dec |
| Oyster | 굴 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec |
| Cockle | 꼬막 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec |
| Snow Crab | 대게 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec |
| Cod | 대구 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Dec |
| Yellowtail | 방어 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Dec |
| Spanish Mackerel | 삼치 | Seafood | Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec |
| Mussel | 홍합 | Seafood | Jan, Nov, Dec |
| Bellflower Root | 도라지 | Greens & Herbs | Jan, Oct, Nov, Dec |