The 'seasonal core' food culture is trending among the MZ generation (born from the late 1980s to the early 2000s). Seasonal core is a neologism that combines the Korean word for seasonal with the English word 'core.' As climate change blurs seasonal boundaries, enjoying seasonal food is perceived as a 'hip' activity.
On the 24th, posts related to 'seasonal food' and 'seasonal fruit' with hashtags reached 304,000 and 286,000, respectively, on Instagram, which is widely used by the MZ generation. This is about three times the number of posts mentioning 'seasonal' in 2022, which was 95,000.
In particular, online purchases of seasonal fruit are also on the rise. According to SSG.com, sales of products in the 'fresh artisan' section, which features goods selected for their producer expertise, increased by about 50% compared to the first week of this month during the period from the 17th to the 23rd. Fruits like blueberries and figs, which are in season during the summer, have ranked high among domestic specialty fruit sales.
Recently, peaches have become the seasonal fruit favored by the MZ generation. Depending on the firmness of the peach, classified as 'Ddakbok' (firm texture) or 'Mulbok' (soft texture), preferences vary, leading consumers to make reservations directly with orchards according to the harvest time of peach varieties. Although they are not available in markets or department stores, people contact orchards to buy varieties that can only be consumed during the season.
Office worker Ms. Park Su-bin (32) said, 'The only thing you can eat at this time is Daegeukcheon (a variety name) peach. When I order Daegeukcheon peaches, I feel like 'it's officially summer.'' She added, 'When I leave work late, I don't have time to shop, but it's nice that I can make reservations in advance through Naver Band, which is operated by the orchard.'
In accordance with the seasonal core trend, orchards are announcing the harvest and sale times of seasonal fruits in advance through their SNS official accounts and Naver Store. Osun-sim (61), who operates a peach orchard in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, stated, 'We are taking pre-orders through both Band and Naver Store.' She noted, 'I announced that we will harvest white peaches tomorrow (25th) and will sort and package them according to the amount received from pre-orders for delivery.'
The food industry is also focusing on menu and product launches reflecting the seasonal core. A representative example is fresh potato chips. ORION is producing seasonal potato chips made from domestically sourced fresh potatoes. Using domestically harvested fresh potatoes from the 23rd of last month, they unveiled fresh potato chips 'Poca Chips' and 'Swing Chips.' Notably, the product packaging has the phrase '2025 Seasonal Fresh Potato Chips' imprinted on it.
Nongshim has begun producing chips made from domestic fresh Sumi potatoes since the 19th of last month. They also included the phrase '2025 Fresh Potato Used' on the Sumi Chips packaging made from fresh potatoes. According to Nongshim, sales of Sumi Chips made from fresh potatoes have increased by 29% compared to the previous month before the fresh potato harvest.
A source in the snack industry noted, 'The idea of potato chips made from fresh potatoes has even led to the term 'seasonal snack' trending,' adding, 'Among the MZ generation, there are many SNS posts with certification photos of having tried 'fresh potato chips,' capturing the words 'fresh potato' printed on Poca Chips or Sumi Chips.
Limited menu items utilizing summer seasonal fruits are being introduced everywhere. Shinsegae Department Store showcased a dessert featuring seasonal Chodang corn, while the franchise cafe Twosome Place launched desserts topped with Shine Muscat cake and seasonal fruits like peaches and mangoes. Additionally, Starbucks Korea introduced peach yogurt blended drinks, and Ediya Coffee released watermelon smoothies as summer limited-time new items.
A source in the food industry remarked, 'The fact that you can only taste these things at this time is a factor that could entice the MZ generation every season,' adding, 'It's important to make good use of seasonal ingredients.'
Professor Lee Eun-hee from Inha University said, 'Seasonal ingredients are rich in nutrients and taste good, which can make them a mega trend similar to the recent craze for slow aging and wellness.'