Meet the “hallabong”, the dekopon fruit of Jeju, South Korea.
….
Say what?
I feel ya. Before this, the extent of my knowledge about this family of fruits is orange, mandarin, ponkan, and Sagada oranges. And it was either sweet or sour. Who knew there’s another entire orange-y world out there?
So let’s try to deconstruct it a bit. Dekopon is a seedless citrus fruit that is very sweet. It was in Japan back in 1972 when someone thought to come up with a mix or a hybrid of Kiyomi (a variety of citrus, apparently) and Ponkan (now, this, I know).
In Jeju Island, they grow this fruit, but do not call it dekopon. Instead, they call it hallabong, in honor of Hallasan, or Mt. Halla, the volcanic mountain in the island, and the highest mountain in South Korea. November and December are the harvest months, but there are a lot of Jeju Hallabong farms and orchards in Jeju that they are able to stock up, so it is still available for the rest of the year. It was April when we were there, and everywhere we turned, we saw hallabong this and hallabong that.
When I visited Jeju, I had no idea about this fruit. I heard snippets, but didn’t much care. You see, I never really cared much for oranges. They were just… there. And the fact that sometimes it’s a hit or miss taste situation when I pick one up isn’t helping any.
So our first official encounter with the Jeju hallabong was when we went to the Jeongbang Waterfall. Before the entrance were stores selling the fruit.
I have come across someone describing the Jeju Hallabong as a “nipply” fruit. Look at the photos below. What do you think?
The ones on the left cost 1,500 won (~PhP60.00 or ~USD1.40) apiece. On the right is 1,000 won (~PhP40.00 or ~USD1.00) each, probably because it looks more wrinkly?
I was persuaded (not that I made it difficult, I admit) by the store owner to taste a bit of the fruit. And so I did. And she even threw in a couple of pieces of Jeju Hallabong Chocolates!
The verdict?
LOVED IT.
It was sweet, but not saccharine-sweet that will make you forget it’s citrus. It’s certainly juicy and succulent. And you know how you get a mandarin, then realize that some parts are succulent, but at the bottom, it’s a bit dry and hard? None of that here.
We ended up buying a “stash” to tide us over throughout our Jeju adventure.
It basically tagged along with us on what I now call our Jeju Road Trip.
While Peach and She were busy driving and ensuring we do not get lost amid the Jeju roads, I was never without this fruit at the backseat. I was lonely, see, so Jeju Hallabong kept me company.
And another thing that annoys me about some varieties of oranges is how difficult they are to peel. Some even require the use of a knife. With this one, the rind beautifully and cleanly slides right off.
Ok, maybe not “slide”, but you get the idea.
Oranges and Chocolates are a wonderful combination. No wonder Jeju Hallabong Chocolates are some of the most popular food items sold in the island. They’re everywhere! At almost every tourist spot, at stores, and yes, even in Chocolate Land.
To be honest, we were contemplating buying a box or two to take home, then realized how much of a hassle it would be to just lug it around Busan. ZOMG. The lady at this store did give us a card containing the website of the store, since they also do international deliveries….
….I lost the card. Yeah. YAY ME.
When we left for Busan, there were around 4 pcs left of our stash. Which I held on to the whole flight. When we went visiting the sights the next day, we took it with us to serve as breakfast.
The Jeju Hallabong was with us every step of the way. From the bus stop in Haeundae, all the way to where the Yonggungsa Temple is.
With Haedong Yonggungsa in the background.
And this is what has befallen the travelling Jeju Hallabong.
Certainly, this is one fruit I want to lay my hands (and mouth) on in the future. I hear some places have started cultivating it, but there is simply something different – something special – about the Jeju Hallabong. Like… it’s NOT Hallabong, unless it’s from Jeju.
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