Dried Persimmon

Dried persimmon (gotgam) is one of Korea's oldest and most cherished preserved fruits, with a tradition stretching back over a thousand years. The Donguibogam classifies persimmon as cool in nature and sweet in flavor, noting that it clears heat, moistens the lungs, and stops coughing. The process of making gotgam is an art: ripe persimmons are carefully peeled and hung on strings under the eaves of farmhouses during the dry, cold autumn-winter months, where they slowly dehydrate over 4-6 weeks while developing a natural white sugar bloom (시상/柿霜) on their surface. This powdery coating was itself used as a medicine in traditional Korean pharmacy. Gotgam holds a famous place in Korean folklore — in the tale of the tiger and the dried persimmon, a crying baby stops wailing at the mere mention of gotgam, demonstrating that even tigers should fear the power of this irresistible treat.