A season-by-season guide to fruit in Korea

Spring: strawberries and the first warm-weather fruit

Strawberries (딸기, ttalgi) are one of Korea’s most visible late-winter and spring fruits. You will find premium varieties, café desserts and strawberry-picking farms from winter into spring. Late spring also brings Korean melon (참외, chamoe), a small yellow melon with crisp pale flesh and a light sweetness.

Green plums (매실, maesil) appear around late spring and early summer, but they are normally used to make syrup, tea or preserves rather than eaten raw.

Summer: melons, peaches and juicy stone fruit

• Watermelon (수박, subak): a classic hot-weather fruit, often sold whole, halved or pre-cut.
• Korean melon (참외): crisp, fragrant and easy to find through much of summer.
• Peaches (복숭아, boksunga): available in soft, juicy and firmer varieties; handle them carefully.
• Plums (자두, jadu): tart to sweet and convenient for picnics.
• Early grapes: some varieties begin appearing before the main autumn season.

Autumn: Korea’s fullest fruit season

Autumn is the best time to see the breadth of Korean orchard fruit. Asian pears (배, bae) are large, crisp and very juicy. Apples (사과, sagwa) arrive from major growing regions, while grapes (포도, podo) range from familiar purple varieties to aromatic Shine Muscat.

Persimmons (감, gam) may be crisp and sweet or soft and jelly-like depending on the variety and ripeness. Dried persimmons, called 곶감 (gotgam), become especially visible later in the year. Fresh jujubes also appear for a relatively short autumn season.

Winter: Jeju citrus and a second strawberry season

Winter belongs to Jeju mandarins (감귤, gamgyul) and larger citrus varieties such as Hallabong. Sweetness, acidity, peel thickness and price vary by variety, so sample boxes are a good way to compare them.

Greenhouse strawberries also become prominent again in winter. Apples and pears remain widely available from storage, making them dependable even when fewer fruits are being freshly harvested.

How to shop for fruit

• Traditional markets: good for seasonal displays, tasting and buying small quantities, though prices may not always be posted.
• Supermarkets: useful for clear labels, packaged portions and easy card payment.
• Department stores: known for carefully presented premium fruit and gift boxes, especially around holidays.
• Convenience stores: practical for single portions, cups and small packs rather than the widest selection.

Check the country-of-origin label, the amount in the package and whether the fruit needs more time to ripen. Holiday gift boxes can be beautiful but much more expensive than everyday packs of the same fruit.

Useful words at a market

제철 과일 (jecheol gwail)

Seasonal fruit

이거 달아요? (igeo darayo?)

Is this sweet?

하나만 살 수 있어요? (hanaman sal su isseoyo?)

Can I buy just one?

씨 없는 포도 (ssi eomneun podo)

Seedless grapes

후숙 (husuk)

Ripening after harvest

When buying soft peaches or persimmons, tell the seller when you plan to eat them. They can help you choose fruit that is ready today or firm enough for later.

Carrying fruit during your trip

Wash fruit with safe water, refrigerate cut fruit and protect soft varieties from pressure in your bag. If you plan to take fresh fruit out of Korea, check the agricultural quarantine rules of your destination before buying it for the flight. Many countries restrict fresh produce even when it is commercially packaged.