Korean Peach – All You Need To Know!

Korean Peach is known as the fruit of the gods, seen as a symbol of divine well-being, beauty, happiness and longevity in Korean culture. This fruit appears in so many paintings throughout history.

There’s a folklore that believes if a Korean find a rare peach with 2 seeds, it is a good sign of mild winter. In addition, Koreans believed that peaches and peach trees drive out evil spirits.

Overall, Korean Peach is the summer favorite in South Korea. Let’s take a deeper look at this Korean Peach!

Korean Peach - Category

Credit to somethingjam

In Korean language, Korean Peach is known as 복숭아 (boksoonga). The most popular Korean Peach known to the world is Nectarine, The Heavenly Peach (천도복숭아 / Jundo Boksoonga).

Nectarine is a soft and smooth Korean peach with a sour, refreshing taste, perfect for the hot summer season. You can easily spot Nectarine from its smooth and fuzz-free skin.

However, there is a lot more to Korean Peach than just Nectarine. This fruit of the gods has a wide variety that I will separate into categories below.

1. Flesh - Freestone and Clingstone Peaches

Credit to Ghazalle Badiozamani

The two types of peaches you can find in grocery stores are Freestone Peaches and Clingstone Peaches.

The difference between the two is that the freestone peaches have a flesh that can easily remove from the pit, which makes it easy to eat out of hand.

On the other hand, Clingstone peaches have sticky flesh, which is harder to remove from the pit. Yet, typically, clingstone has a sweeter taste which is perfect for canning.

2. Colors - White and Yellow Peaches

Korean peaches come in two main colors, yellow peaches and white peaches.

Yellow peaches have a sweet flesh with a slight acid, while white peaches are slightly sweeter with little to no acid. Depending on your taste preference, the two actually taste great.

Note: yellow peaches are all categorized as soft peaches, while white peaches offer various textures.

3. Texture - Hard and Soft Peaches

While freestone and clingstone differ from Korean peaches based on their sticky flesh, there are two popular types of Korean peach based on their content and texture, soft peach and hard peach.

Soft peach contains more water, making it juicier, while hard peaches taste more crunchy.

Additional: Donuts - Flat peaches (납작 복숭아)

Credit to wikipedia

Flat peaches (납작 복숭아) is not actually Korean peach, but I think it’s not hurt to share them with you.

This peach originated in China and exploded in popularity throughout European countries. These flat peaches are known for tit’s cute shape and delicious taste.

How To Choose Korean Peaches

If you want to buy Korean peach at one of the Korean grocery stores, make sure to smell it first. Find peaches with strong aromas.

In case you are looking for a juicier or crunchier Korean peach, you can gently press the Korean peach and feels if it’s ripe or firm. Anyway, don’t squeeze the peach, as it is easily bruised.

Once you buy them, you can directly eat them or put them in your refrigerator or chiller if you want to eat them later.

How to enjoy Korean Peaches

Here are some ways you can enjoy korean peaches.

1. Directly Consume It

You can eat it directly, just like any other fruit you buy at the grocery stores. This fruit tastes great and has many health benefits, which should be enough for you to eat this summer.

2. Peach Juice / Smoothies

If consume it directly feels boring, you can turn it into peach juice or smoothies. One portion of 100 grams of Korean peach contains around 40 calories, which is also great if you’re currently on a diet.

3. Make a Greek Yogurt Peach

This popular greek yogurt peach on instagram is actually just a greek yogurt with peach toppings, granola and honey.

Some korean cafes sell this dessert in Seoul for around $10. However, you don’t need to go to korean cafes just to enjoy this dessert.

You can easily make it at home; here are the list of ingredients and instructions to make a greek yogurt peach in the videos.

Greek Peach (그릭모모) Ingredients:

1 peach
Greek yogurt
Granola
Honey

Step by Step instructions:

Cut the top of the peach (closest to stem).
Scoop out the pit and a little more so we can add more yogurt.
Peel/skin the peach.
Stuff greek yogurt into the center of the peach.
Lay a bed of granola onto a plate and place the peach in the center.
Drizzle honey over the peach, and enjoy!

Health Benefits Of Korean Peaches

There are a lot of health benefits of consuming this rich antioxidants korean peaches including.

1. Improve Overall Skin Health

Korean peaches are rich in vitamins A and C, improving overall skin health, reducing wrinkles, skin texture, and protecting your skin from pollution.

2. Reduce Stress and Anxiety

According to a report by the University of Kentucky, peaches are a good stress and anxiety relievers. That’s why peaches are known as the ‘fruit of calmness‘ in Hungary.

3. Improve Digestive Health

This wonderful fruits contain high fiber content, which really help in prevents us from overeating and improves our digestive health.

Korean Peaches Season

Since Korean peach is a summer fruit, so you can easily find it during the Summer seasons from June – August. However, if you are looking for the softest and juiciest peaches, they usually come in late summer, around August.

Sum Up

Korean peach is one of the must-eat fruits during the summer season in Korea. Whether you like fruit, I suggest you consume Korean peaches this summer.

I hope this article gives you some information you need and encourages you to be healthier this summer by eating Korean peaches.

Grab it at the nearest grocery store, and let me know what type of Korean peach you love the most? Put your answer in the comment sections below!

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