Yon

Omija translates roughly as “five flavour fruit” and unites sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent in a single fruit. For centuries it was used in Korea as a medicinal plant; the classic medical text Dongeuibogam describes it as a remedy for hangovers, and King Yeongjo of the Joseon dynasty is said to have enjoyed it regularly as a tonic. Its botanical name, Schisandra chinensis, in older sources also Maximowiczia chinensis, hints at its former reputation in the West: a coveted spice from the Far East that eventually fell into oblivion because it simply could not be obtained.