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A dish that's "hot and spicy" but also has a cooling effect.
Ginseng chicken stew (samgyetang) is a famous traditional Korean dish, often used to improve health and boost the immune system. This dish is prepared by stewing a whole chicken with ginseng, red dates, chestnuts, glutinous rice, and other ingredients.
What's special about ginseng chicken stew is that it's usually served in a thermal bowl, which helps preserve the flavor and warmth of the dish. However, contrary to popular belief, this "hot" dish is actually effective in cooling the body during the summer.
EXPLAINING THE "PARADOX" OF GINSENG CHICKEN STEW FOR COOLING THE BODY
According to Korean beliefs, the human body tends to "attract each other." Therefore, to combat the sweltering heat of summer, they consume foods with warming properties to stimulate sweating, thereby helping to cool and detoxify the body.
In addition, ginseng chicken stew contains many vitamins, minerals, and compounds that have detoxifying and cleansing effects on the body, helping to reduce fever and boost the immune system. In particular, the ginseng in this dish nourishes the blood, improves blood circulation, and helps the body cool down more effectively.
SECRETS TO ENJOYING GINSENG CHICKEN STEW THE RIGHT WAY
The main ingredient of the dish is young chicken stewed in astragalus root broth (a type of herbal medicine). The chicken's cavity is stuffed with glutinous rice, small ginseng roots, jujubes, garlic, and seasoned with various spices. The chicken is stewed until the broth thickens and becomes fragrant. The dish is usually topped with chopped green onions before being served in a Ttukbaegi, an unglazed earthenware bowl. Food served in this bowl retains heat for a long time.
Ginseng chicken soup is based on the principle of "fighting fire with fire" or "using heat to counteract heat." This chicken soup, eaten during the hot summer months, causes diners to sweat, helping to lower body temperature. Koreans believe samgyetang strengthens the immune system, restores energy, and relieves fatigue. It also helps reduce bloating and increase appetite during the hot summer. It's often served with kimchi, pickled radishes, fried chicken, and cold beer.
SAMGYETANG - THE KOREAN SECRET OF "FIGHTING POISON WITH POISON"
Samgyetang is also known as "mother-in-law's dish." According to old Korean tradition, when a son-in-law visited, the mother-in-law would kill one of the chickens in her garden to prepare a feast. Therefore, for Koreans, Samgyetang is also considered a dish that expresses a mother's love.
"Sam" here means "ginseng," "gye" means "chicken," and "tang" means "soup." Therefore, Samgyetang is a ginseng stew, and the main ingredient is chicken. The chicken must be a young chicken, 3-6 months old, that has never laid eggs. After the chicken is cleaned, it is stuffed with ginseng, various herbs, jujubes, garlic, ginger, glutinous rice, and other ingredients.
The chicken is then placed in a stone pot or earthenware bowl and cooked for an hour. Nowadays, in addition to traditional ingredients, Koreans also use many other components such as chestnuts, pine nuts, abalone, octopus, crab, etc., so samgyetang has become increasingly diverse in flavor and more delicious.
Korean cooling dishes for the hot summer
According to Eastern medicine, during the hot summer months, blood circulates closer to the skin to effectively cool the body. This leads to a shortage of blood flow to the internal organs, causing them to become cold. Therefore, people often experience loss of appetite and exhaustion in the summer. Koreans believe that nutritious hot dishes like samgyetang can increase blood circulation to the internal organs, helping to restore appetite and energy. In particular, eating samgyetang causes increased sweating, which helps to cool the body effectively.
Samgyetang is also known as "mother-in-law's dish." According to old Korean tradition, when a son-in-law visited, the mother-in-law would kill one of the chickens in her garden to prepare a feast.
The exquisite flavor and aroma of ginseng chicken soup leave diners with unforgettable sensations on their tongues. Ginseng chicken soup is truly a delicious and nutritious dish created by Koreans, becoming a specialty of the country.
Not only is it a delicious and nutritious dish, ginseng chicken stew also has an effective cooling effect, helping you cope with the sweltering heat of summer. If you have the chance to visit Korea, don't forget to try this unique dish!
