Cheorwon Odae Rice
KoreaGangwon · CheorwonCheorwon Odae Rice: The Plain That Harvests Korea's First New Rice
Just south of the DMZ, the Cheorwon Plain is the first place in Korea to harvest rice each year. Here is how a cold-tolerant variety called Odae, big day-night temperature swings and fields shared with cranes made Cheorwon rice a byword for good-tasting rice.
A Wide Plain Below the Truce Line
Gangwon is known as a mountainous province, but at its northwestern edge Cheorwon opens onto an unusually wide plain watered by the Hantan River. The Cheorwon Plain borders the DMZ, with part of it inside the Civilian Control Line, and it saw fierce fighting during the Korean War. Today its signature sight is endless golden paddies every autumn. According to Kuki News, Cheorwon grows rice on 9,412 hectares and produces about 72,000 tonnes a year on average. The rice is usually sold as Cheorwon Odae Ssal, Odae being the name of the rice variety that took root here. The Maeil Shinmun describes Cheorwon Odae rice as having become a byword for good-tasting rice.
Odae, a Rice Bred to Beat the Cold
Cheorwon is famous for long, cold winters, hardly ideal for rice. According to the Maeil Shinmun, Korea's Rural Development Administration began research in 1974 aiming for a rice that tasted good yet resisted cold damage and did not lodge easily. The resulting Odae variety went through regional adaptation trials in Cheorwon in 1982 and became the area's signature rice. Odae has a relatively short growing period, which suited a northern plain with short summers. Cheorwon farmers now plant several varieties, including early types such as Cheolgi 50, but the name Odae still sticks to Cheorwon rice. A variety bred to survive the cold ended up becoming the region's name tag.
Grown by Day, Filled by Night
Climate is the reason most often given for Cheorwon rice's flavor. The Maeil Shinmun and Kuki News both note that from mid-August to mid-September the difference between day and night temperatures in Cheorwon reaches about 10 degrees Celsius. By day the grains swell in the sun, and on cool nights the nutrients made during the day are stored in the grain. Fertile red clay, the volcanic soil of the lava plateau, and clean water and air are also mentioned. The cold helps in another way. Long, harsh winters make it hard for pests to survive, so farmers reportedly use fewer pesticides than elsewhere. Cheorwon rice grown this way has plump, sticky grains and is praised for not hardening quickly once cooled, so it tastes good even cold.
The First Rice Harvest in the Country
The Cheorwon Plain is known for starting the rice harvest earlier than anywhere else in Korea. According to Kuki News, the first cutting in 2024 took place on August 20 with the early variety Cheolgi 50, about four months after seedlings were transplanted around April 25. By mid-September the whole plain turns gold, and the harvest continues into mid-October. Because Cheorwon harvests first, its new-crop purchase and retail prices are set first too, and the Maeil Shinmun says this influences rice prices nationwide that year. Another interesting detail: in late August combine harvesters from around the country gather in Cheorwon, then work their way south through the central region. Cheorwon's new rice, out at the very start of autumn, gets attention as the year's first new crop.
Fields Shared With Cranes, and How to Enjoy the Rice
Cheorwon's fields have winter guests. According to Kuki News, farmers leave rice straw and fallen grain in the paddies after harvest instead of selling them as feed, so that migratory birds such as cranes have food through the winter. Seeing cranes gathered on the paddies is a sight unique to a winter trip to Cheorwon. The easiest way to taste Cheorwon rice is a freshly cooked pot rice or rice set meal at a Korean restaurant in town. Try a few spoonfuls on its own, without side dishes, to notice the stickiness and sweetness. During new-rice season in autumn you can buy that year's crop at places such as local agricultural cooperative stores. Cheorwon rice has also been exported to Australia and the United States since 2021, so you may soon meet the name abroad too.