Buan MulberryThis photo shows mulberries, one of Buan’s major special products. Buan mulberries were registered as geographical indication product no. 107 in 2019.
Mulberry Trees in the village of YuyuThis photo shows mulberry trees in the village of Yuyu, Mapo-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun. Mulberries are Buan’s special product.
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LocationBuan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryFolk Food ∙ Local Specialties
- Korean부안 참뽕 오디
- Chinese扶安-
- FieldPolitics, Economy and Society / Economy & Industry
- Contents TypeSpecialty
- Definition
- The mulberry fruit produced in the Buan region, Jeollabuk-do
- Summary
- Buan Champpong Mulberry has a long history of over 150 years. The fruit, which comes from the female mulberry tree, is the main ingredient of Buan Champpong Makgeolli, the signature product of Buan County. The fruit is widely used as the main ingredient of various food products, such as mulberry jam, mulberry juice, mulberry wine, mulberry vinegar, mulberry rice liquor, mulberry bread, and more.
- Origins and Development
- “Champpong Mulberry” is Buan’s iconic brand that originated in 2004 as the county’s demonstration project. By 2005, the project was fully activated as a new business with specific goals supported by both residents and civil workers of Buan County. In 2011, Buan came to own Korea’s largest mulberry farm in total area in comparison with its main competitors, Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do and Sangju, North Gyeongsang province. In 2012, the brand Buan Champpong Mulberry won the joint Grand Prize for the Culture and Tourism Brand Evaluation at the 2012 Korea Tourist Souvenir Exposition held at the Daejeon Expo Convention and became a nine-time Grand Prize winner at the National Brand Awards until 2019.
- Production Method and Characteristics
- Buan Champpong Mulberries are harvested during the month of May and June. This is also the peak time of the year when Korean raspberries and green peas are harvested, and rice plants are planted. Owing to the sea breeze from the West Sea off Byeonsan Peninsula and abundant sunlight, the fruit is large and characteristically sweet at 13 brix. Sugars found in Champpong mulberries are glucose and saccharose. Rich in vitamins and minerals, the fruit with minimal organic acid doesn’t taste sour. Compared with strawberry or grapes, mulberries have four to five times higher content of protein, and compared with wild berries, it is considered a highly nutritional fruit packed with fiber, iron and vitamins. Mulberries cultivated in Buan contain high amounts of important functional ingredients, two major anthocyanins, cyanidin‐3‐glucoside ()andcyanidin‐3‐rutinoside (),inadditionto1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), rutin, β-carotene, cinnamic acid, quercetin and resveratrol. The fruit also contains biological response modifiers that are associated with anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, anti-high blood pressure, anti-aging, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-inflammatory effects. Champpong mulberries are also known to ease bowel movement of the large and small intestines and alleviate headache or dizziness caused by high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis. Mulberry is a well-known health food as it can help detoxify alcohol in the blood, promote diuretic action and induce beneficial responses in digestive functions.
- Current Status including Relevant Industry
- The total area of land specializing in cultivating Champpong Mulberries in Buan County, Jeollabuk-do is 237 ha in area with over 850 farms, which produce 1,800 tons annually or 23% of the total mulberry production in Korea. In 2019, mulberry Buan’s signature produce was registered with the Certification of Korea Protected Geographical Indication No. 107. The geographical indication is a trademark to certify the characteristics and production of agricultural and processed food products cultivated in a specific region. Regarded as intellectual property, products carrying the indication are protected by law, and the same trademark cannot be used by producers in other regions. As a result, the production site and quality of Buan-grown mulberries are legally protected and systematically maintained, contributing to higher revenues for local mulberry farms.