Korean Job Discussion Forums

jeni_escobar · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Location: Gwangmyeung

I have been avoiding strawberries here (like I do at home unless they're organic) because they are one of the worst items in terms of pesticide residue. I assumed it would be especially bad here since chemicals were a huge factor in the development engine of Korea. Some friends told me that hardly anything here has pesticides on it though, and that strawberries are practically organic and that's why they taste so good (mmm they are amazing here....) Is that true?

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

You should note that Korea imports over 70% of its Strawberries from Japan. But, if its a Korean vegetable or fruit its chemical laden.

hugekebab · Joined: 05 Jan 2008

When I was in Japan the other week I saw them plastering a field with what I can only assume was chemical spray.

On the other hand, strawberries these days are grown in greenhouses and therefore don't always require sprays as the environment is controlled.

Thewhiteyalbum · Joined: 13 Nov 2008

tirinal · Joined: 08 Oct 2007

Out of curiosity, what fruits/vegetables at an average store (homeplus/emart/chaebol dept) are generally free of additives and which are laden? Or is it pretty much a crapshoot?

man_of_words · Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul

McSensei · Joined: 12 Nov 2008

Yeah, Nature likes variety and every apple looks the same as the next one.

Why does the price of strawberries vary from day to day so much?

p.s. I got organic strawberries on sale for 3000 Won the other day at EMART.

moosehead · Joined: 05 May 2007

bobbybigfoot · Joined: 05 May 2007 Location: Seoul

I gave up on eating organic a long time ago. It's not a well regulated industry. The term "organic" can mean many different things. I refuse to pay double or triple for "organic" food. The way I look at is this: there are so many pollutants that I refuse to worry about them. If I get cancer, so be it. I have no idea how clean the water I drink is, or how clean the air is I breathe, or what's in the food I eat. I have no idea how effective the vitamins that I take are (maybe next to no benefit). Chemicals are everywhere. So I take a moderate approach. I fill up my water bottles from the water machines at work and hope they actually filter out pollutants; I buy fruits and veggies on sale but don't worry about the sprays; I choose brown bread over white, but know that brown bread here in Korea is probably not the best. I eat white rice because it's cheap. But at least it's not full of transfats. Maybe I'm costing myself a few years off my life, but then again, maybe a bus will kill me long before the sprays on the inorganic veggies do away with me.

Just do things in moderation and I think you'll be fine.

jeni_escobar · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Location: Gwangmyeung

Well I'm far from a food nazi.... it's impossible to be when you're abroad anyway! But at least with strawberries and tomatoes I try to go organic because they're so thin-skinned. I'm moderate.... but then, when you have brain cancer strike twice in your family (dad AND your aunt) it gets you to thinking..... I'm sure it wasn't caused by pesticides in either case, but it can't hurt to avoid known carcinogens.

Thanks for the info, everybody!

jkamphof · Joined: 12 Apr 2008

No matter the country, strawberries, apples and peaches are the highest sprayed fruit with pesitcides. Not only to this they are very high on the list for being GMO.

This said Korea already sprays heavily often with chemicals no longer used in other countries b/c of adverse side effects on nature and on people.

I avoid the berries here, I have never in my life seen so many perfectly red, big strawberries till I came here....certainly not naturally grown, totally greenhouse and GMO'd.

Lastly, sorta off topic but soybeans are known as soil cleaners as are peanuts, I LOVE both but here in Korea where fertilisers and sprays keep the soil fertile I avoid both heavily. Try and research your favorite foods and buy those in the cleanest means possible.

elavndrc · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Location: Korea

hmm and i just ate a lot of strawberries...I also eat a lot of tofu here.

I usually can tell whether a fruit is sprayed with chemicals because I'm allergic to almost all fruits out there. I can't eat a lot of fruits in the US because it makes my tongue swell but I recently bought "organic" apples at e-mart and i was fine. I've never been allergic to strawberries so i don't know.