1 Embrace Seasonal Foods

Do you have any seasonal foods that you look forward to in January? While many ingredients are now available year-round, foods, vegetables, and fruits exclusive to winter bring joy to our health and culinary experience. While seasonal fruits like strawberries and tangerines are well-known, seasonal vegetables can be harder to identify without special attention. I frequent farmers’ market Marché and local offline markets. At Marché, I get to meet farmers directly and learn how ingredients are cultivated, and I occasionally encounter chefs who share cooking tips for these ingredients. The regular farmers’ market Marché offers various seasonal ingredients at peak freshness. It’s an opportunity to naturally discover seasonal fruits and vegetables and see the original form of ingredients we commonly consume.

Weekly visits to Marché might not be feasible for everyone. In that case, try subscribing to “imperfect” vegetable delivery services. I’ve been using Uglyus’ regular delivery service for over a year. They curate and deliver small batches of fresh but aesthetically imperfect vegetables. The short distribution channel ensures the freshness of seasonal produce. While grocery shopping often leads to buying the same vegetables out of habit, this service introduces me to new varieties. When faced with unfamiliar produce, you might wonder, “How do I prepare this?” Fortunately, Uglyus includes recipe cards with each delivery, encouraging culinary exploration. These imperfect products, which would otherwise be discarded despite having the same taste and nutritional value as standard produce, can be your path to better health and beauty.

2 Eat Rough, Short, yet Rich

While many of us tend to discard fruit peels and eat only the soft flesh, try consuming fruits with their skins after thorough washing. Not only do peels contain more nutrients and dietary fiber than the flesh, but they also offer an entirely different texture and taste experience. These days, I eat gold kiwis and apples with their skins every morning. You might be surprised at eating kiwi with its skin, but give it a try. You’ll discover that many fruits can be enjoyed whole, including the peel.

Avoiding semi-prepared foods, ready-to-eat meals, and processed foods is impossible. While nutritional information like calories, sugar, and protein content is essential when purchasing these items, here’s another tip: look for products with shorter ingredient lists. Choosing items that prioritize main ingredients and contain fewer chemical additives is advisable! Try to find a balance between healthy ingredients and calorie content.

For those who want to eat more vegetables but find them bland, here’s a tip: experiment with some herbs and healthy oils.

Olive oil
Olive oil offers an incredible range of tastes, aromas, and flavors. A good olive oil works as a salad dressing, elevating everything from various dishes to even ice cream. Since olive oil can easily oxidize, purchase it in small quantities and use it quickly for optimal health benefits.

Pepper
Did you know that pepper is a fruit, not a seed? I was introduced to the world of pepper through the Ö PEPPER brand, which I first encountered at Marché. Each pepper fruit has its distinct taste. Adding different types of pepper can give an exciting kick to foods you might have found less interesting. Fresh pepper harvest offers an even more vibrant and rich flavor. Isn’t it fascinating that green, red, white, and black peppers have unique tastes and come from different regions? Enhance your culinary experience with different peppers - add depth to spicy dishes, bring a spicy kick to desserts, or enliven bland salads with a peppery punch. You can even create your pepper blends!

Perilla Oil and Powder
Perilla oil has become increasingly popular in cooking lately. Try incorporating it into your vegetable dishes. It works well as a salad dressing, and simply drizzling perilla oil or sprinkling perilla powder over cooked vegetables creates a delicious dish. It’s healthier than high-sugar dressings while offering excellent flavor. Fresh perilla oil can also oxidize quickly, so purchase it in small quantities and store it in the refrigerator.

3 A Healthy Bakery Tour

For those who can't give up bread despite eating healthy - while it's not for everyday, it's fine occasionally. Here are some bakeries that offer both nutritious and delicious options.

1) Mill Gokkan

This Seongbuk-dong bakery is stocked with healthy bread made from whole grains. You can sample various sourdough and rye breads. Most notably, they sell pumpernickel made without eggs, butter, or milk but it is packed with various grains and seeds and 100% rye bread made with their own cold-fermented starter culture.

2) Complet

Using ancient fermentation methods, they grind Korean heritage wheat and domestic rye in-house, baking bread with only mineral salt added. Their natural fermentation process without commercial yeast takes several days. While the loaves are smaller than typical commercial bread, they offer rich flavors that develop with each bite and are easy to digest.

3) Minimize

The name represents their philosophy of minimizing harmful ingredients. This dessert bakery uses healthy ingredients like coconut sugar and rice flour. Experience sweet happiness with their flour-free cakes and desserts.