In September, find a spot on a mountainside where a vine has climbed up into another tree and look up. You may see green fruit about 2–3 cm across hanging from it. This is darae, Korea's wild hardy kiwi. The skin has no fuzz, so you just rinse the fruit and eat it whole. You can rarely pick fruit in the mountains and put it straight into your mouth without any preparation.
The fruit section of the Donguibogam, a Korean medical classic from the 17th century, lists this fruit as mihudo (獼猴桃, literally "macaque peach"). The text says it grows in the mountains and climbs trees on its vines, and it describes the fruit as blue-green, flat and large. It also notes that the fruit is very astringent at first and only becomes sweet after a frost. This is a record from an old medical text, and modern medicine does not necessarily agree with it. However, the part about unripe darae tasting astringent is still true. Pick one today and you'll taste it.
When to Harvest and How to Choose
In the Northern Hemisphere, darae is harvested in September and October. The plant grows best at 15–25°C. It is much hardier than the fuzzy kiwifruit sold in grocery stores and can survive winter lows of −20 to −25°C. That means it can grow in places with cold winters, such as Korea's central inland regions and its mountains. It grows wild in the mountains of Korea, China, Japan and Russia, and many people also plant it in the United States. Improved varieties, sold as hardy kiwi or kiwiberries, are also farmed in Korea.
To choose ripe fruit, press each one gently with your finger. If it gives softly, it has turned sweet. If it feels firm, it will still taste astringent. Leave firm fruit out for a few more days and eat it once it softens.
Puréed into Meat Marinades
Darae contains an enzyme called actinidin, which breaks down the proteins in meat and makes it more tender. Korean cooks usually grate Asian pear into soy sauce marinades for dishes like bulgogi (thinly sliced beef) and galbi (short ribs), and you can use darae instead. It is tangier than pear, so the marinade tastes lighter.
Keep the marinating time short. After 30 minutes, the surface of the meat starts to get mushy. You can purée the fruit with the skin on, so it takes very little time to prepare.
With Yogurt and Honey
Cut the fruit in half, spoon it over yogurt and drizzle a little honey on top to soften the tartness. The fruit is so small that you don't need to peel it or pick out seeds. Fully ripe darae is sweet enough to eat without honey.
Darae contains vitamin C and potassium. Its flesh gets its green color from chlorophyll, and the fruit also contains polyphenols. Try adding a handful to your breakfast fruit.
Spring Shoots from the Same Vine
The young shoots that come up in spring are called darae-sun, and people blanch them and season them to eat. They are not used as ssam, the leaves Koreans wrap around rice and meat. They are made into namul, a side dish of blanched greens mixed with seasonings. After blanching, rinse the shoots in cold water to remove the astringent taste, then season them. This way, one vine gives you shoots in spring and fruit in fall.
Before You Eat
In the mountains, the plant most easily mistaken for darae is gae-darae, also called silver vine. It is a different species.
- Around the time it flowers, part of the upper side of its leaves turns white.
- Its fruit has a pointed tip.
- It has a strong, sharp taste that stings the tongue, so people don't eat it raw.
Actinidin is also one of the main allergens in fruits of the kiwi genus. If kiwi has ever made your mouth itch or tingle, be careful with darae as well. Some studies have measured allergy markers in people given darae extract, but those results may not hold for fresh fruit picked in the mountains.
If you picked a handful of darae today, eat half of it on yogurt just as it is. Purée the rest with the skin on and add it to a meat marinade for dinner. Marinate the meat for only 30 minutes, then cook it right away.
