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Fresh strawberries in a to-go box at Mojo dining hall (Nov 1, 2025). Photo by Katelyn Kim.
The Taste of Home in a Strawberry
The Taste of Home in a Strawberry
by Katelyn Kim
I walked into the strawberry buffet in Seoul, where rows of neatly stacked ripe, delicious fruits sat under a cool mist, fog curling around them. Tables overflowed with soft, cream-filled cakes, glossy tarts, and chilled purée drinks that shimmered under the lights. Somewhere between sips and bites, I realized this fruit wasn’t just dessert; it was a memory I could taste. Each strawberry reminded me of mornings with my family, sharing bowls of yogurt and fruit that felt like home.
Strawberries are small and simple in appearance, yet they have a rich and complex story. According to Molecular Biology and Evolution, the modern cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) originated through the hybridization of wild species from North and South America (Hardigan et al. 2285). This discovery helped me understand how strawberries gained global significance, spreading through centuries of trade and agriculture before becoming the familiar fruit we recognize today. What seems like a simple berry is actually the result of hybridization between species from both continents, shaped by chance, cultivation, and cross-continental exchange. Realizing this made the strawberry feel less everyday and more like an edible symbol of blending and adaptation.
Homemade Korean hwachae dessert with friends, made using strawberries from the Mojo dining hall (Nov 1, 2025). Photo by Katelyn Kim.
Strawberries from the North Quad dining hall paired with vanilla yogurt (Oct 30, 2025). Photo by Katelyn Kim.
Strawberries arrived in Korea in the early twentieth century and, through greenhouse farming, became a prized winter fruit widely cultivated by the 1960s. Before 2005, most varieties were Japanese. The creation of Korea's first major success, Seolhyang, sparked a wave of homegrown breeds—like Maehyang and Kingsberry—each celebrated for its distinct sweetness and texture. Consequently, Korea’s strawberry exports increased from US $32 million in 2016 to US $69 million in 2024, reflecting both technological progress and growing global appreciation (Kim).
As the industry expanded, the meaning of strawberries grew beyond economics. According to The Korea Times, Korean strawberries are celebrated for their sweetness, delicate texture, and vibrant color, making them especially popular among tourists and within everyday food culture (Kim). For many Koreans, strawberries signal the start of winter and spring, seasons tied to family gatherings, warmth, and shared treats.
The differences between Korean strawberries and those grown elsewhere further reveal their cultural significance. According to The Korea Times, strawberries in many other regions are larger, darker, and noticeably more tart, so they are often paired with cream or chocolate to balance their acidity. Korean strawberries are smaller and naturally sweet enough to enjoy plain. Their soft texture makes them especially appealing at peak freshness. According to Korea.net, visitors are immediately struck by the fruit’s sensory appeal: “The first thing noticeable upon entering the strawberry greenhouse was the color red. Next was the sweet strawberry fragrance’s intoxicating effect” (Lee et al.). Experts explain that this sweetness comes from Korea’s advanced greenhouse systems, where farmers closely control temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels to maintain consistent quality (Kim). These qualities help strawberries function not just as food, but as markers of time, celebration, and shared memory in Korean culture.
Beyond their flavor and careful cultivation, Korean strawberries represent freshness, youth, and celebration. Whenever I visit my grandparents in Korea, they greet me with beautifully packaged berries, offering them the way others might offer flowers. To my family, the fruit is a gesture of warmth and welcome, something meant to be shared with people you care about. This sense of celebration extends far beyond individual homes. Across the country, winter and spring festivals feature strawberries as their centerpiece, with farms and cafés building entire events around the fruit. When I visited strawberry farms in Korea as a child, I remember wandering through the long rows with my sister, the warm air filled with the scent of ripe fruit. Our hands got sticky as we picked berries and ate a few before even filling our baskets. The gravel crunched under our shoes, and the soft, sweet air made everything feel slow and easy, like time had paused just for us. In those moments, it felt as if the whole farm existed to celebrate that brief, perfect season of sweetness.
Even in the University of Michigan’s North Quad dining hall, thousands of miles from Seoul, the sight of bright red strawberries brings back that same feeling of joy. Each chilled berry carries a story of global collaboration, scientific progress, and cultural care. When I eat them here, I taste more than sweetness; I feel grounded. Strawberries have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, my favorite fruit, a daily comfort, and a quiet reminder of home. The modern strawberry blends science and tradition and shows how something so small can connect people everywhere through its color, taste, and story.
Works Cited
Hardigan, Michael A., et al. “Unraveling the Complex Hybrid Ancestry and Domestication of the Cultivated Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa).” Molecular Biology and Evolution, vol. 38, no. 6, 2021, pp. 2285–2305, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab024. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Kim, Katelyn. Photo of homemade Korean hwachae dessert. 1 Nov. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Kim, Katelyn. Photo of strawberries from the North Quad dining hall paired with vanilla yogurt. 30 Oct. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Kim, Katelyn. Photo of strawberries in a to-go box at Mojo dining hall. 1 Nov. 2025. Author's personal collection.
Kim, Se-jeong. “All You Need to Know about Korea’s Strawberries.” The Korea Times, 17 Apr. 2025, koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20250417/everything-you-need-to-know-about-koreas-strawberries. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Lee, Kyoung Mi, Lee Jae-eun, and Lee Jihae. “What Is the Secret behind Korean Strawberries’ Success?” Korea.net, Korean Culture and Information Service, 5 Feb. 2021, https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Business/view?articleId=194671. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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