Dried Fruits & Vegetables

Have you ever eaten dehydrated radish? In South Korea, people make dried radish strips after ‘Kimjang’ (김장), the process of preparing and preserving kimchi as a family for the year, which takes place during late fall/early winter. In Korea, people refer to this dried root vegetable as ‘mumallaengi’ (무말랭이). ‘Mu’ (무) means radish, while ‘mallaengi’ (말랭이) comes from the verb ‘malida’ (말리다), meaning ‘to dry.’

The Schisandra Chinensis, commonly known as the Schisandra vine, magnolia vine, or Chinese magnolia vine, is a variety of plant native to the forests of Northern China, the Russian Far East, and the Korean Peninsula. The berries are commonly known as the schisandra berry, five-flavor fruit, five-flavor berry, magnolia berry, and more. In South Korea, people refer to this fruit solely as ‘omija’ (오미자). Literally, this means ‘five flavors.’ 

Across East Asia, people widely use dried kelp ingredient in traditional cooking. In South Korea, people refer to this ingredient as ‘dashima’ (다시마). In this article, I will discuss dried kelp’s uses in Korean cuisine as well as answer questions you may have about this ingredient. 

In South Korea, people refer to dried persimmon as ‘gotgam’ (곶감). In Korean cuisine, people either consume these dried persimmons as a snack or use them as an ingredient in other foods. Learn about this ingredient!

In South Korea, people use different ingredients besides sugar to naturally sweeten foods. Some of these ingredients include Asian pears, green plum syrup, honey, and more. Another one of these foods that naturally sweetens food is the jujube (daechu)! This small, date-like fruit adds a hint of sweetness as well as tartness to a dish. Here, we discuss this ingredient and how it is used in Korean cuisine!