The Bay Area has strong Korean grocery infrastructure
Santa Clara County alone has about 42,000 Korean residents. San Mateo, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Fremont round out the demographic centers. The retail infrastructure has followed. Below is the working list of Korean grocery stores in the Bay Area, with what each carries for Korean ceremony shopping.
H Mart, six Bay Area locations
H Mart San Jose I at 1179 S De Anza. The larger and older of the two San Jose locations. Deep aisle of ceremonial fruit (Asian pear, persimmon in season, jujube, chestnut). Fresh whole fish counter. Reliable stock of songpyeon during Chuseok week and tteokguk rice cakes during Seollal week.
H Mart San Jose II at 1710 Oakland Rd. The newer San Jose location. Similar stock to San Jose I. Slightly more prepared foods, useful when the family wants to shortcut some of the ceremony cooking.
H Mart Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and South San Francisco. Smaller footprints but full-service. Ceremonial produce is stocked but may be picked over during holiday week. Shop two weeks early for Chuseok and Seollal to have first pick.
H Mart Fremont (opening late 2026). The largest H Mart in Northern California when it opens. Will carry the deepest ceremonial stock in the region. Worth the drive from any Bay Area city for major family ceremonies.
Kukje Super Market, Daly City
The oldest continuously operating Korean supermarket in the Bay Area. On Alemany Boulevard in Daly City. The Korean grandmothers of San Francisco shop here.
Kukje carries the most authentic ceremonial stock in the region. Fresh whole fish is deeper than H Mart. Jujube and chestnut are always stocked, not just seasonal. Sikhye and cheongju selection is wider. Traditional ganjeong and yakgwa are stocked year-round.
For a family setting a proper charye table for the first time and wanting to source everything from one store, Kukje is the answer. The older Korean staff will also help with questions about what to buy for a specific rite, in a way that busier H Mart staff often cannot.
Jagalchi and Mega Mart
Jagalchi in Daly City. Named after the famous Busan fish market. Specializes in seafood. The go-to for ceremonial whole fish (yellow croaker, pollock, bream) when H Mart is picked over. Also strong on banchan.
Mega Mart Fremont. Opened in 2022. Full-service Korean grocery serving the East Bay. Currently the largest Korean grocer in Fremont until the H Mart Fremont opens. Strong on ceremonial rice cakes during holiday season.
What to buy for a paebaek
Real dates and chestnuts for the toss (small quantity, one bag of each is enough). Yellow croaker or pollock for the fish offering (Kukje or Jagalchi have the best selection). Sliced beef for beef jerky offering (or pre-made yukpo from H Mart). Fresh apples, pears, and persimmons in season for the fruit pyramids. Yakgwa (any Korean grocery). Cheongju in the ceramic bottle (Kukje has the widest selection).
For families using staged silicone or wax fruit towers (common for photographs) plus real dates and chestnuts for the actual toss, only the toss items need to be fresh. This is often the pragmatic Bay Area approach.
What to buy for a dol
Songpyeon rice cakes for the tteok tower (H Mart or Kukje, sold in colorful boxes). Injeolmi (soybean-powder rice cakes) to layer with the songpyeon. Fresh fruit for the doljabi table decoration. Jujubes and chestnuts (small quantities). Rice for the doljabi table. Beef and vegetables for jeon (savory pancakes) if catering is not being brought in.
For families ordering Mrs. Lee's spread, the shopping list drops to a handful of items the family wants fresh for the actual ceremony. Everything else is prepared and delivered.
What to buy for Chuseok
Songpyeon (make or buy). Steaming pine needles if making from scratch (Kukje sometimes stocks these; otherwise pine-needle powder). Fresh yellow croaker for the charye offering. Sliced beef for jeon. Mung bean for bindaetteok. Taro for toran-guk (the seasonal Chuseok soup). Fresh Asian pear and apple for the fruit pyramids.
Jujubes and chestnuts are essential. Sikhye and cheongju for the offering. If the family is Christian and doing chudo yebae, skip the alcohol and rice offering. Focus the shopping on the family meal.
What to buy for Seollal
Tteokguk rice cakes (garaetteok, sliced thin for the soup). Beef brisket or dried anchovies for the tteokguk broth. Green onions and eggs for the garnish. Mandu (dumplings) if the family observes the northern regional tradition of manduguk. Galbi (short ribs) for galbijjim. Fresh fruit. Sikhye and yakgwa for the family meal.
H Mart during Seollal week is picked clean by Sunday morning. Shop by Thursday for guaranteed selection.
What to buy for a hwangap
Miyeok (dried seaweed) for miyeok-guk, the birthday soup. This is the essential item and every Korean grocery carries it year-round. Beef brisket or clams for the broth. Fresh jujubes and chestnuts for the hwangapsang platters. Yakgwa for the table. Sikhye and cheongju. Fresh seasonal fruit for the pyramids.
For families holding a full traditional hwangapsang with nine to twelve towered platters, the shopping list expands significantly. Most modern Korean American families simplify. Miyeok-guk is the non-negotiable dish. Everything else is scoped to the family's energy.
If you are planning a Korean ceremony in the Bay Area
Any Korean ceremony coordination in the Bay Area is what we do. Eric coordinates every ceremony personally. Mrs. Lee cooks every dish. Nothing is handed off. Read the full any korean ceremony guide, or begin an inquiry with a few sentences about your day.