Ginseng chicken stew - a hot dish loved in summer

Koreans spend the three hottest days of the year eating ginseng chicken soup - a hot dish served in a heat-retaining bowl, but with a cooling effect in the summer.

One of the dishes that the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam recommends for first-time visitors to Korea is samgyetang or ginseng chicken porridge soup.

Not only is it a famous dish, ginseng chicken is also especially loved by locals during the summer. In Korea, there is even a day dedicated to eating this dish, which is the 3 hottest days of the year (called sambok). During sambok, thousands of people are willing to line up along samgyetang shops across the country to wait to eat ginseng chicken.

Ginseng chicken stew is served in a clay bowl that retains heat for a long time and is usually eaten immediately after heating. Photo: Phuong Anh

The main ingredient of the dish is young chicken stewed in Astragalus (a type of herb). The chicken's belly is stuffed with glutinous rice, small ginseng, jujube, garlic and seasoned with spices. The chicken is stewed until the broth thickens and smells fragrant. The dish is usually sprinkled with chopped green onions before serving and served in a Ttukbaegi bowl or unglazed earthenware bowl. Food in this bowl has the ability to stay hot for a long time.

Ginseng chicken soup is created based on the principle of "fighting poison with poison" or "fighting heat with heat". The hot chicken soup eaten in the middle of summer makes diners sweat, helping to reduce body temperature. Koreans believe that samgyetang has the effect of strengthening the immune system, restoring energy and eliminating fatigue. It has the effect of reducing bloating and increasing appetite in the hot summer. People often eat it with kimchi, radish and fried chicken with cold beer.

Radish kimchi, a side dish served with ginseng chicken stew. Photo: Phuong Anh

One of Seoul's most famous ginseng chicken restaurants is Tosokchon, a short walk from Kyungbokgung Station. Its convenient location makes it a popular stop for many tourists after a tour of the capital's most famous royal palace. The restaurant is said to have been a frequent visitor to the late South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

There are currently many direct flights from Vietnam, convenient for tourists to travel to Korea and enjoy this famous dish. Flight time is about 5 hours.

Phuong Anh

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