Korean foods for summer, winter & more: Enjoying seafood, vegetables, fruits in season now

Korea has four distinct seasons. In spring, everything sprouts and grows. In summer, the world is covered with green. In autumn, the crops are harvested. And in winter, a new year is prepared.

And according to the different seasons, there are also delicious foods. Although recently there are many imported foods and preservation technologies have developed, so you can eat whatever you want regardless of the season, foods for summer, winter, spring, and autumn are cheaper and tastier when eaten in season. It is also fun to wait for the seasons. Shall we look for seasonal delicacies?

Foods for Spring (봄)

It is the season when sprouts emerge, and the food that conveys the fresh scent of spring is spring greens. Fragrant spring greens are good to eat raw or boiled in soup. It's even more delicious to pick and eat various kinds of wild greens that grow in the mountains or fields.

Vegetables (채소):

Naengi (냉이): a kind of herb that can be eaten both leaves and roots. The leaves are feather-shaped, grow in clusters, and bloom white flowers at the end of spring.

Dallae - 달래 (wild chives), 

chwinamul - 취나물 (wild aster), 

dolnamul - 돌나물 (sedum), 

ssuk - 쑥 (mugwort),

Deureop - 두릅 (angelica shoots), 

juksoon - 죽순 (bamboo shoots), 

bomdong - 봄동 (napa cabbage)

Deodeok - 더덕: a kind of root plant that grows in gardens or mountains and is used as a food or medicine ingredient because of its unique aroma and taste.

Fruits (과일):

딸기: Strawberries, 

앵두: cherries, 

키위: kiwis, 

청포도: green grapes, 

살구: apricots

Seafood (해물):

Jukkumi - 주꾸미 (small octopus), 

haesam - 해삼 (sea cucumber), 

jogi - 조기 (yellow croaker), 

byeongeo - 병어 (hairtail), 

domi - 도미 (red seabream), 

hongeo - 홍어 (skate)

Spring special dishes (봄철 별미요리):

Bomnamul muchim - 봄나물무침 (spring greens salad), 

namulguk - 나물국 (wild greens soup), 

deureop suk hoe - 두릅숙회 (angelica shoots with raw fish), 

namul muchim - 나물무침 (seasoned greens)

Foods for Summer (여름)

In the hot summer, you may get irritated or lose your appetite. It is the season when sweet fruits and vegetables are abundant, so overcome the summer heat with fresh and delicious fruits.

Vegetables (채소):

가지: Eggplant, 

풋고추: green chili pepper, 

애호박: young pumpkin, 

열무 (yeolmu): young radish,

오이: cucumber, 

단호박: sweet pumpkin

Fruits (과일 ): 

토마토: Tomato,   

참외: honeydew melon, 

수박: watermelon, 

포도: grape, 

복숭아: peach, 

자두: plum, 

멜론: cantaloupe

Seafood (해물):

Ggotge - 꽃게  (blue crab), 

mineo - 민어 (croaker), 

nongeo - 농어 (parrotfish),

jangeo - 장어 (eel), 

galchi - 갈치 (cutlassfish)

Summer special dishes (여름철 별미요리):

Kongguksu - 콩국수 (noodles in cold soybean soup), 

naengmyeon - 냉면 (cold noodles), 

samgyetang - 삼계탕 (chicken soup with ginseng), 

jangeo gui - 장어구이 (grilled eel)

Foods for Autumn (가을)

It is the season when everything bears fruit, but it is also called the season of 'cheongomabi'. It means that people and animals regain their appetite and eat well and gain weight. Freshly harvested grains are especially tasty.

Note: Cheongomabi means the sky is high and the horses are fat (It means that the sky is high and clear and all kinds of grains are ripe. It refers to autumn, the season when the sky is high and clear and everything is harvested.)

Vegetables (채소):

Haepssal -햅쌀 (new rice), 

옥수수: corn, 

감자: potato, 

고구마: sweet potato, 

송이버섯: songi mushroom, 

표고버섯: pyogo mushroom, 

토란: toran (taro)

Fruits (과일):

대추: Jujube,  

사과: apple, 

감: persimmon, 

배: pear

Seafood (해물):

Godeungeo - 고등어 (mackerel),  

gongchi - 꽁치 (mackerel pike), 

daeha - 대하(새우) (shrimp), 

cheongeo - 청어 (dotted gizzard shad), 

jangeo - 장어 (eel),

jeoneo - 전어 (goby)

Autumn special dishes (가을철 별미요리):

Haepssalbap -  햅쌀밥 (rice cooked with freshly harvested rice)

jeoneo gui - 전어구이 (grilled goby), 

museongchae - 무생채 (radish salad)

Foods for Winter (겨울)

In this season when ice freezes and snow falls, trees shed their leaves and animals hibernate. But on the contrary, seafood is full of eggs and flesh and is the most delicious.

Vegetables (채소)

Baechu - 배추 (napa cabbage),

mu - 무 (radish), 

pa - 파 (green onion), 

sigumchi - 시금치 (spinach), 

yeongeun - 연근 (lotus root), 

ueong - 우엉 (burdock), 

sanma - 산마 (mountain yam)

Fruits (과일):

사과: Apple, 

감: persimmon,  

귤: tangerine, 

yuja -유자 (citron), 

gotgam - 곶감 (dried persimmon)

Seafood (해물):

Gul - 굴 (oyster), 

domi - 도미 (red seabream), 

daegu - 대구 (cod), 

myeongtae - 명태 (Alaska pollock), 

okdom - 옥돔 (snapper), 

ge - 게 (crab), 

kkotmok - 꼬막 (cockle)

Winter special dishes (겨울철 별미요리):

Kimjang kimchi - 김장김치 (kimchi made for winter),  

seokhwa and shellfish dishes - 석화 및 조개요리 (oyster and shellfish dishes)

(Source)