This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at a local specialty. The Udo Island peanut is turning into an iconic Jeju product earning a reputation for its flavor and health benefits.



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Udo Island home to 1,700 residents

Udo is a 5.9 square kilometer island off the northeast coast of Jeju. It is within sight of Seongsan Sunrise Peak and home to about 1,700 residents. Like the other inhabited islets that accompany the main island, conditions here are extreme.

Strong winds move across Udo unchecked. Sunlight beats down on its crops, which rely solely on rainwater. Udo’s farmers have therefore had to seek out hearty crops like garlic, barley, and the peanut.

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1/3 of Udo farmland devoted to peanuts

About a third of Udo’s 420 hectares of farmland are now dedicated to peanut cultivation.

The Udo peanut is smaller and rounder than those grown on the mainland. It is crunchy and fragrant. The island’s volcanic soil and strong sun are said to be the reason for its rich peanut flavor.

Accordingly, a number of delicious foods and products have been developed in recent years to take advantage of the Udo peanut’s strengths.

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Noodles, ice cream, rice wine made with peanuts

Visitors are treated to noodle dishes and ice cream topped with ground peanuts. There’s also a healthy unrefined rice wine beverage unique to Udo which uses peanuts as an ingredient.

Another product promoting healthy eating are gold Udo peanuts. They have made waves for the addition of tiny flecks of gold during the growing process. Peanuts themselves are rich in Vitamin E and Vitamin B, but the gold is thought to help strengthen the immune system.

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Todd Thacker

The Udo peanut is being celebrated as a healthy, delicious regional delicacy. And with its own place at local festivals, consumer awareness and the popularity of the peanut is sure to grow both nationwide, and in overseas markets in the coming years.

Todd Thacker KCTV