Samgye-tang

 (Korea Ginseng Chicken Soup)

 

 Summer Energy-boosting Dish

The hottest days in Korea are from early July to end August. 

This period is called ‘sambok deowi,’ or ‘the heat wave of sambok.’

 ‘Sambok’ refers to the hottest days in Korea according to the lunar calendar

 and is further broken down into: 

chobok, the beginning period; 

jungbok, the middle; 

 malbok, the tail end of the summertime heat.

 

Since Samgye-tang  includes nutritious ingredients,

 it is well known for its restorative properties. 

The dish is prepared by choosing a young chicken 

and stuffing it with garlic, rice, jujube, ginger, licorice root, and other herbs. 

The ingredients are then boiled together and served up in a delicious broth. 

Some restaurants even offer variations of the traditional samgye-tang, 

allowing you to add different ingredients according to your personal taste. 

One bowl of Samgye-tang is typically priced 

somewhere between 10,000 and 13,000 won.

 

Fusion-style Samgye-tang has been gaining popularity 

with more and more restaurants cashing in on the trend. 

At fusion-style Samgye-tang restaurants, 

you’ll be able to find new additions to this classic dish

 ranging from abalone and wild ginseng to perilla seed powder or even green tea. Fusion Samgye-tang is a bit more expensive than regular samgye-tang 

and can cost anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 won, 

depending on the ingredients. 

If you don’t mind paying a little more, 

fusion-style Samgye-tang is a great way to reenergize and experience 

a new take on a classic Korean dish.

 

There are two main schools of thought in Korea 

when it comes to summer foods. 

Many Koreans eat cool dishes (chilled noodles, etc.) to try and cool off, 

but there are also many people that eat hot foods full of nutrition to combat fatigue. This idea of ‘Yi Yeol Chi Yeol’ (fighting heat with heat) is derived 

from the principles of traditional Korean medicine. 

Originally, the term was used to refer to a medical treatment for curing colds 

in which a feverish patient’s body was kept as warm as possible 

in order to release the heat from the body. 

Considering the spirit of ‘Yi Yeol Chi Yeol,’  how about fighting heat with heat 

and rejuvenate yourself this summer 

by indulging in a big bowl of Samgye-tang?