Ever wondered why Koreans flock to steaming bowls of Samgyetang in the sweltering summer heat? Imagine sweating it out with a bowl of hot ginseng chicken soup while the sun blazes overhead. It might seem counterintuitive to opt for boiling soup when temperatures soar, but this age-old tradition holds fascinating cultural, historical, and health-related secrets.
Dive into the world of Samgyetang and uncover the intriguing reasons behind this beloved summer ritual. Discover how this unique dish not only tantalizes taste buds but also invigorates the body, making it a must-try experience during Korea’s hottest months. Curious about the science and tradition behind this practice? Let’s explore why Samgyetang remains a timeless favorite for beating the summer heat.
Discover the Cooling Secrets of Korea’s Summer Samgyetang Tradition
The air feels heavy with humidity, and mercury mounts. Ah, human instinct—to seek out something nice and cooling to eat when the weather turns sultry. In Korea, that means sometimes standing for endless hours outside of restaurants serving steaming bowls of samgyetang during the dog days of summer. This traditional treat comprises a whole chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujubes simmered in hot broth, making it a steady, recognized food item during summer. Now, why would Koreans follow the custom of boiling steaming soup when the outside temperature hits the peak in summer? Answers lie in a tapestry of cultural heritage, medicinal beliefs, and understanding of the body’s natural cooling mechanisms.
What is Samgyetang?
Samgyetang is one of the all-time favorite dishes for Koreans, especially during summer. It is prepared by stuffing glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujubes into a whole young chicken. Then, it’s all simmered in a hearty and flavorful broth. This traditional soup is not just a meal; it’s a cultural experience deeply associated with Korean heritage.
The Cultural Significance of Samgyetang
Balancing Ki Through Food
Food in Korean culture enables the body to get nourishment; it’s a balancing method for one’s ki, or the flow of vital energy in the body. Michael Pettit is a scholar in Premodern Korean Studies at Binghamton University. He says: One ought to regulate ki to stay healthy. So one eats hot in hot weather. The principle is explained as “yi yul chi yul” or “fight fire with fire,” the idea that one harmonizes one’s inner and outer temperatures. However, the perception is that, in summer, when the external environment is warm, hot foods will balance the cool ki in the body.
Historical Context and Evolution
As early as Korea’s agrarian society, the tradition of eating samgyetang was embedded. In an individual’s heavy fieldwork during hot summer, foods loaded with lots of nutrients and calories should be consumed to replace the energy consumed. With the low chances of spoilage for big animals such as cows or pigs, chicken has become a significant source of protein in people’s diets. Over the years, adding ginseng and medicinal herbs raised samgyetang from a mere meal to a treat that boosts health.
Modern Takes on an Ancient Tradition
Samgyetang in Contemporary Korea
While the meaning may have been lost with time, the recipe is a well-loved one in contemporary Korea. During boknal – the three hottest summer days according to the lunar calendar, the samgyetang parlors in the cities are full of people trying to warm their spirits up as well as to enjoy the tastes of the dish while benefiting from the ingredients that purportedly cool the system. The word has even found its way beyond Korea as canned and frozen forms proliferated internationally.
Alternative Summer Foods
Koreans enjoy some other cooling dishes, such as naengmyeon (cold noodles) and bingsoo (shaved ice), though samgyetang is a summer staple. That sounds good for summer, though, with the hot broth in the soup to provide a refreshing balancing act.
Health Benefits of Hot Soup in Summer
Sweating as a Cooling Mechanism
One of the main reasons why Koreans take hot soup during summer is to ensure that they are sweating. Sweat works as a cooling mechanism, which is evaporation on the skin; thus, the body is cooled. Eating hot soup makes this process faster—cooling despite the starting heat.
Medicinal Ingredients: Ginseng and Garlic
In the case of samgyetang, more health benefits are brought about by ginseng and garlic. It acts helpfully in causing vasodilation through the effects of enhanced circulation and heat exchange. Garlic, with its anticoagulant properties further enhances blood flow. All of this boosts one’s overall stamina.
Personal Experience: A Taste of Tradition
When the mercury climbs to a sweltering 101 degrees at the peak of summer, the streets of Seoul are packed with people who want to escape the heat. One of the most famous ways to beat the heat in Seoul is by eating a bowl of steaming Samgyetang from any renowned restaurant.
Many come to these restaurants despite the sweltering weather to enjoy this traditional chicken and ginseng soup. The practice of having such hot food when it’s midsummer might seem counterintuitive, but it is deeply rooted in Korean culture and traditional wisdom.
One might question the sense of eating such a thing during the summer when first handed a steaming hot, freshly served bowl of samgyetang. However, with just one spoon of it inside, the experience is quite different. The ginseng-garlic flavor somehow invokes nostalgia; it tastes like your childhood homemade meal.
It seems a little contradictory, but it is based on the principle of iyeol chiyeol (이열치열), meaning “fight heat with heat.” According to Korean medicine, hot soup balances the temperature of the body and forces natural cooling by way of perspiration.
Besides the deep flavor, the pairing of ginseng with garlic is potent in vitamins good for boosting immunity and improving digestion. While it might look a little strange at first, eventually one walks away with a fresher and rejuvenated feeling from this ancient wisdom of Korean culinary practices.
Preparation of Samgyetang
Ingredients
- Two Cornish game hens
- 1/2 cup sweet rice
- 4 pieces of dried ginseng
- 8 garlic cloves
- 8 pieces dried red dates
- 4 spring onions to garnish
- Scattered with a little salt and pepper
Directions
- Wash the rice several times under running water until the water is clear, then soak for 1 hour.
- Scour hens well, inside and out, and clean out cavities; rub with salt and pepper.
- Fill each hen with sweet rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujube. Close the cavities with sewing or skewering.
- Place hens in pot, cover with water, and boil.
- Lower heat; simmer for 2 hours, skimming off froth and adding water as required.
- Serve hot, garnished with green onions, and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper.
Conclusion
The Korean custom of eating steamy soup on hot summer days is an intriguing melting pot of cultural tradition, medicinal wisdom, and practical health benefits. Thus, by the practice of “yi yul chi yul,” Koreans somehow harmonized their internal energy with the energy of the environment, by and large, therefore having good poise and comfort under the sweltering heat. This culinary practice will undoubtedly gain meaning, even for a person who eats something as comforting as samgyetang or cools down by sweating their body much more than we do by sweating inside of us.
FAQs
What is the significance of eating hot soup in summer in Korea?
“Yi yul chi yul, or “fight fire with fire,” is said to be the philosophy behind why it’s beneficial to eat samgyetang in the hot summer.
What are the health benefits of samgyetang?
Ginseng and garlic have so many ingredients used in the medicinal field that promote a better blood circulation system, control temperature, and hence produce better health and stamina.
How is samgyetang traditionally prepared?
Samgyetang is a young chicken stuffed with sweet rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujubes, then boiled for hours.
Why do Koreans prefer hot soup over cold food in summer?
They believe the sweat from eating the hot soup will help cool the body. In the long run, because the evaporation of sweat helps cool the body, this will bring a refreshing feeling although eating hot soup.
What other summer dishes are popular in Korea?
Aside from samgyetang, there are other cold foods Koreans prefer in the hot summer, such as naengmyeon, which is a cold noodle, and bingsoo, which is shaved ice.
Has samgyetang gained popularity outside Korea?
Yes, samgyetang has received much international popularity, with canned and frozen versions available in global markets, and it’s even been featured in a Korean drama, so recognition has been given again.