Since olden times, the Korean people have widely used the Paektusan bog bilberry, one of the national specialities, in their dietary life and recovery of health.
According to old records from the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910), bog bilberry grown in the Kapsan area in Korea was famous and the locals preserved it in honey like strawberry. They said that as it had a unique taste, it was best in making fruit jam.
The tree grows in group in the Mt Paektu area and it is widely distributed in other highlands like the Paengmu Plateau area, the Hwangsuwon area and Piro Peak of Mt Kumgang.
It is 30 to 40cm tall generally and 1.2 metres at the maximum. The berry ripens as it turns damson between the latter part of July and that of September, and varies in shape.
As Paektusan bog bilberry contains sugar, protein, crude fat, pectin and others, it is used as a raw material for soft drinks and confectionery.
Especially, it contains medicinal substances and various vitamins like vitamin C, which are good for human health. Therefore, it has long been used as medicines for cough, diarrhoea and bleeding and for health recovery of children in the period of convalescence and women after childbirth.
If you eat it regularly, you will be able to purify your blood and prevent and cure hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
For its high utility as a tonic and refresher, the Korean people use it to make such foods as refreshing juice, sweet jelly and fruit jam.
Today, a variety of products are made of Paektusan bog bilberry in the DPRK, greatly contributing to the dietary life of the people.
The traditional custom of using Paektusan bog bilberry was recently inscribed in the national intangible cultural heritage list.
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