13 Popular South Korean Fruits

Persimmon (known as gam locally) is a significant fruit in South Korea, originating from East Asia and introduced to Korea in the 14th century.

Persimmon is loved for its sweet, honey-like flavor in yellow-orange or deep red-orange hues when fully ripe. They come in two main varieties: the astringent Hachiya, which must be completely soft before eating, and the non-astringent Fuyu, which can be eaten while still firm.

Persimmons are often seen drying outside homes and shops, transforming into gotgam, a chewy and sweet traditional dried snack. Dried persimmon is a good choice for making Sujeonggwa drinks with ginger and cinnamon.

Pear (bae) is a native fruit of South Korea. They are large and round with a distinctive crisp texture and juiciness.

You will love its high water content and refreshingly sweet taste. Plus, the skin of Korean pears is usually a light yellow to brown, which you can eat peeled or unpeeled.

They are often eaten raw or used in cooking to tenderize meat due to their natural enzymes.

Korean pears have become a popular gift for guests or consumed in family gatherings, especially during Chuseok, the Korean harvest festival.

Korean melon, or oriental melon, is easily recognizable by its oblong shape, bright yellow skin, and white longitudinal stripes. It is called chamoe in Korean, and “cham” means “true”, “oe” means “melon”.

Its flesh is pale green to white with a crisp texture and subtle sweetness compared to other melons. Inside is a cavity filled with edible white seeds with a slightly gelatinous texture.

Korean melons are commonly enjoyed fresh, in salads, or as a refreshing summer snack, valued for their taste and hydrating properties.

This excellent fruit grows widely in East Asian countries, but it originates in Eastern India. It appeared in China over the Silk Road, and the Chinese brought it to Korea during the Three Kingdoms period.

Jeju Island is a famous tourist place in Korea, and Korean orange, aka hallabong is one of the most famous fruits here. It’s a type of seedless mandarin orange.

This hybrid fruit is a combination of Ponkan and Kiyomi citrus fruits, and it was created in 1972 in Japan. Hallabongs are prized for their sweet and tangy flavor, large size, and distinctive bump at the top, resembling a small mountain.

Thanks to the high sugar content, it is hard to resist the excellent sweetness. Besides, you can find a hint of characteristic tartness. Therefore, it is commonly used in Korean sweet desserts and drinks.

FYI, its name comes from the name Hallasan Mountain on Jeju Island.

Don’t forget to try Kyoho grapes (or podo) when traveling to Korea. This popular fruit is larger than regular grape varieties. It has a thin peel in blackish-purple or black colors. Inside is a sweet, juicy flesh that can be easily separated from the skin.

The name “Kyoho” means “giant mountain,” aptly reflecting their size and the lush, mountainous regions where they are grown. These grapes are often enjoyed as a luxury fruit, served peeled as a dessert or snack.

Korean black raspberry, known as bokbunja, is a fruit native to Korea. It has a deep purple-black color and is smaller than the common raspberry.

Its taste combines sweet, tart, and earthy notes. It’s commonly used to make Bokbunja-ju wine. Besides culinary use, bokbunja is also loved as a traditional medicine since it’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

South Korean strawberries (ttalgi) are famous for their sweetness, big size, bright red color, and juicy texture.

Therefore, this fruit is best eaten fresh or in delicious desserts like juice, pies, jams, milkshakes, candy, and ice cream.

Strawberries often come with a heart shape, making them favorite gifts on Valentine’s Day in Korea.

If you love citrus fruit, you shouldn’t miss Yuzu (aka yuja in South Korea).

Though it is native to China, this fruit is very popular in Korea due to its aromatic zest and the tart, flavorful juice.

Its appearance is similar to grapefruit but smaller. It has uneven skin with yellow or green colors. You will find about 5 to 8 succulent segments in each yuzu.

Its characteristic combines lemon, lime, and grapefruit with prominent tartness, so it is rare to consume raw Yuzu. That’s why Koreans often make marmalade, yuzu tea, salads, and other desserts.

Korean tangerine (or gyul), particularly the Jeju Island varieties, are well-known for their exceptional sweetness and juiciness.

Compared to oranges, these fruits look smaller and less round. Furthermore, its sweetness is more substantial, and the tartness is less than oranges. Ripe tangerine is often bright yellow. Its skin is very easy to peel, and its flesh is seedless.

These tangerines are a staple winter fruit in Korea. Locals love to eat it raw or add it to salads, desserts, and main dishes. Tangerines from Jeju are often given as gifts during the Lunar New Year and other special occasions in Korea.

Green plums, or maesil, are small, unripe plums harvested in early summer before they turn yellow and sweet.

They normally have a round-oval form and sour taste. So they are most famous for being used to make maesil-cheong (plum syrup) and maesil-ju (plum wine), which are traditional digestives and flavor enhancers in Korean cuisine.

Peach (or bogsung-aui) has been associated with the tradition and culture of Korea. Koreans consider it the “Fruit of longevity, happiness, honor, and riches”.

Korean peaches are known for their juiciness, sweet flavor, and soft, velvety skin. Harvested in the summer, these peaches come in both white and yellow varieties, with the white being sweeter and less acidic.

They are larger and rounder compared to peaches from other regions. In Korea, peaches are often enjoyed fresh or used in dessert.

South Korea is famed for its apples (sagwa), particularly from the Daegu region, known as the “apple city.”

Korean apples are crisp, juicy, and have the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. The country’s cool autumn climate contributes to the apple’s flavor and color development.

These apples are consumed fresh and used in cooking. Beyond their culinary uses, they are also a common ingredient in Korean beauty products for their hydrating and brightening effects on the skin.

People usually purchase apple boxes to give to others as presents. Apple is a similar word for “I’m sorry” in Korean, so it is a priority to give friends or relatives when you want to apologize.

Magnolia berry, or omija in Korean, translates to “five-flavor berry” because it tastes sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent all at once.

They are a kind of red berry covered by a smoothie, shiny, and red skin. The spherical shape is the dominant feature of it. These berries are created from dense hanging clusters.

These small berries are primarily harvested to make omija-cha (magnolia berry tea) and omija syrup. They are famous for boosting immunity and alleviating fatigue, making them ideal for cooking and traditional Korean medicine.