Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Drew345]

Hi Korean ESL Board Readers,
I just moved to Seoul and am a bit shell shocked at the prices of fresh fruit. What are the best fruit choices for a fruit lover?
I worked in California 13 years and in Thailand for 4 years. I got accostomed to starting the day with fruit as breakfast and snacks. In Thialand an apple, shipped all the way from China, still only costs about 15 Bt (400 Won). Here they are 1500 to 2000 Won. Bananas are also 4X price but I understand that; they are not grown here. Forget about pineapple or grapes. I thought peaches could be grown here, but they are still over 2000 W each.
Is there any locally grown, delicious fruit for a morning fruit lover. And where is the best place to buy?
Thanks,
Drew

[Bunnymonster]

Costco or E-Mart, Also fruit here seems to be seasonal where it becomes just expensive and not ridiculous. Bananas and watermelon seem to be cheapish at the moment I paid 2000 won for a large hand of maybe a dozen bananas. That said I've been dissapointed with all the fruit I've bought here either on price or quality or both. Any want to prove me wrong I'd be very happy.

[eamo]

If there's a farmers market near you then that would be the cheapest source of fruit.

Or, annoying as they are, the fruit/veg trucks with the loudspeakers should be cheaper than any supermarket.

You're right though. Everyone notices the awful price of fruit when they arrive here. It's a scandal.

[Hollywoodaction]

[deessell]

Yep, the price of fruit is something to write home about.....$50 australian for 25 mandarins...you're having a laugh.

I'm cheap and lucky enough to live withn walking distance of three major shopping centres, so I just cruise and eat all the free samples....I make sure I flirt a little with the meat boys.....then they don't mind when you come in everyday. Free fruit....it's the way to go. When you taste the tastless bananas you sure as hell will not want to buy them...especially after the tasty SEA ones.

It's amazing how full you can get when you pick at all the samples...they even have drinks to wash it all down with.

[tzechuk]

Go to traditional market to buy fruits. Half the price.

If there is no traditional market nearby.. then go to a neighbouring apartment estate.. they ususally have market days once or twice a week and you will find fruits stalls... they will sell you cheaper stuff.

[hari seldon]

[Hans Blix]

is it because of gm that the fruit here all looks a little too perfect. i can really only compare it to australian fruit which seems to be made up of the runts of the world's fruit litter, at least as far a appearances go. taste, on the other hand, could do with a little work...

[Squid]

In the last couple of years the prices for all imports seem to have become exorbitant, including fruit.

My family "do the rounds" of the major supermarkets to gather those little things like good coffee, blocks of cheese, wholemeal bread...and of course fruit. We just pick up what fruit's on special at the time.

Buy seasonal and it's cheaper sure, but remember this place has a six month winter more or less!

At the moment watermelon at around W6000 for a good size is bearable from e-mart or Kims club, and 2-3000 for a bag of 7 or 8 of the small yellow melons not bad from the corner hawkers. Some bananas are cheap enough here but i agree a bit madopso.

There are two "wholesale" markets near us and they're the biggest rip-off going...12,000 for a suba...give me a break. They're not worth the bother.

I've never seen a poor farmer in Europe or Australasia/Oceania, all driving Audis or Beemers in my travels and for all their bellyaching here not either... all 8 of the kids through college on two or three rice paddies...hmmmmm. For the staple it is, the rice price here (and in Japan) is a criminal enterprise.

[Draven]

This thread title could easily go into the Korean Oxymorons thread, sans question mark, of course.

[guangho]

It's not so expensive for me (3 mangoes=5000 won) but so damned hard to find. I go looney here some days. (Loonier than usual I mean.) And forget the bananas. Anyone know a job in Thailand that pays 100,00 baht a month?

[captain kirk]

The traditional markets. In Ulsan it was downtown and a great, huge building, open inside. One half for vegetables, the other for fruit. Competing stalls. Bruised apples were a good deal.

[skookum]

Go to the shijang (Public market) late in the day when the vendors are nearly ready to leave - I've gotten better deals then, sometimes..... Buy whatever is in season even if it's unfamiliar to you - chamwes are good now though getting toward their season's end - I bought a great big bag for 3000 won the other day, late in the afternoon, then right down the street someone was selling them for 1000 won a bag - just 'cause it was late..... Get little dried figs from traditional medicine stores - they are tiny, and very sweet and tasty.... if you're desperate, the ornamental cherries for which this country is famous are fruiting right now - they taste a little different but no worse than the cherries I've gotten in the market here. No one picks them, but you can.... Peaches are not in season yet, that's why they are still expensive - I just saw the first ones this week, still hard and without much color. Apricots are just beginning too.... For a while I was getting seven of the big 3000-won-each pears for 5000 for the lot. They needed a small amount of surgery on them, you wouldn't give them for gifts, but they were still very tasty and a bargain.... Get to know your vendors and they'll be more likely to give you a better deal.... Apples are just one of the more expensive fruits here, just like chamwes are a lot more in North America (when you can find them). I don't buy chamwes there and I don't often buy apples here.... Kyul (tangerines or mandarines) have been out of season but I'm begining to see them here and there the past week or so.... When I buy what's in season, or something on sale, I usually don't pay any more than I did back home. And with a few exceptions most of the produce in Korea tastes better.

[Hwajangsil Ajumma]

I'm a reasonably priced fruit.

[hari seldon]