North Korea is making an effort to overcome its food shortages by expanding its greenhouse-based vegetable and fruit production industry, Daily NK sources recently reported.
For example, Haeju strawberries, once regarded as a specialty of that area, are now grown throughout the country in greenhouses. North Koreans no longer need to make huge batches of kimchi to get through the winter; now they can just purchase greenhouse-grown Napa cabbage, Korean radish, cucumber, eggplant and more in local markets all-year-round.
Daily NK sources recently reported, however, that of the many vegetables cultivated in greenhouses, garlic chives are one of the most popular.
“Garlic chives grown in Pyongsong, Pyongyang, and Yangdok County are popular in the markets,” a Pyongyang-based source recently told Daily NK.
“North Koreans have a lot of dumplings to celebrate the new year, the Great Full Moon [first full moon of the lunar new year] and Kim Jong Il’s birthday [Jan. 8]. Dumplings taste so much better with garlic chives in them,” he added.
