BKF 2011 - KARA's Color Food

Delicious Food _ SUJINURI FOODS CO., LTD
22 Korea AgraFood
Confected Schizandra
Schizandra (fruit of Maximowiczia typica,
Omija in Korean) is a red fruit that at once
tastes sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy.
Traditionally used in Oriental (Chinese) medicine, it
has recently come to the center of people’s attention
as a food. With the rise in public interest, the output of
schizandra production has also been increasing.
Mungyeong in Gyeongsangbuk-do, with 45 percent
of all the schizandra produced in Korea, is a major
schizandra production area. Mungyeong officials have
fostered the fruit as a regional specialty since 1996
and by now Mungyeong has become a representative
city of schizandra.
“Schizandra Confect” is one of the most famous
The Charm of Five Tastes
and a Vivid Red Color
Good as a Hot Tea in the Winter
or a Cold Beverage
in the Summer
products of the Mungyeong area. The production
process involves 60 days of aging a mixture of fresh
schizandra with sugar. The product is widely used as
an ingredient in food and beverages.
Korean schizandra drinks have come in to the spotlight
on the world stage and received rave reviews. A
wine made of Mungyeong schizandra was selected as
the “Toast Drink” for the 2010 G-20 meeting in
Korea. Korea and France also used the omija schizandra
drink as an official beverage during their 120th anniversary
celebration of establishing diplomatic ties.
Sujinuri Foods Co.,Ltd in Mungyeong is an
schizandra processing company famous for producing
high-quality schizandra items with the technical sup-
port of the Rural Development Administration (RDA)
and Mungyeong Agricultural Technology Center -
two institutions for Korean agricultural technique development
and education.
The institutions are educating farmers about organic
farming technologies and farming ethics. The
Mungyeong Agricultural Processing Support Center
is also assisting farmers through technology transfers,
developing schizandra processed goods, creating
sample products, marketing, and management consulting.
Sujinuri Foods Co.,Ltd acquires high quality
schizandra under the contract cultivation and its products
are distributed under the brand name “Red In.”
According to Noh Chun-su, President of Sujinuri,
“good ingredients are key to a good product. In addition,
a processing technique that can keep the original
taste and nutrition of omija schizandra as well as invested
time and effort are crucial.”
Interview
Ms. Kim Mi-ja is a
recognized expert in
omija. After graduating
from university
as a food processing
major, she has
been working in the
field to help develop
and promote the
Mungyeong omija.
Why is the Mungyeong area so famous for
schizandra?
Mungyeong is a high altitude region with cool
temperatures that makes it good for growing
schizandra. The MATC is also playing an important
role in schizandra farming here by offering
classes about organic schizandra and teaching cultivation
and processing techniques.
Schizandra, the fruit of five tastes, makes a good
ingredient thanks to the variety of tastes that it can offer
and its vivid color. If one part schizandra confect
is mixed with three to five parts hot water, it can become
a hot tea to keep you warm in the winter. In the
summer, you can make schizandra-ade by adding
cold carbonated or still water. You can also use it
when preparing cocktails, salads, jellies, meat dishes,
cookies, and cakes.
Kim Mi-ja, a Mungyeong Agricultural Technology Center (MATC) consultant
“Improves functions of liver and lungs”
What are schizandra’s values and functions as
a food?
Chinese medicine regards schizandra as good for
the internal organs and scientific research has
proven this effect.
According to researchers, schizandra stimulates
the cranial nerve so it can improve memory, improve
liver and lung functions, and be used for
treating diabetes.
What food would you particularly recommend
to make with schizandra?
Schizandra is widely consumed as beverage.
Whether it is made into a drink or added to a dish
as a sauce, schizandra enhances the food’s taste
and fragrance, and gives it a beautiful hue thanks
to the natural red color of the fruit. If you use it
when cooking meat, schizandra will make it tender.
The fruit also helps digestion.
Mungyeong-si takes
41% of whole
schizandra producing
amount in Korea.
The Fruits are harvested
in September
~ October
Issue189 Jun. 2011
23