Ginseng Chicken Soup (Simplified)Samgyetang

Koreans eat hot soup on the hottest day of the year. This is not a misunderstanding — it is an intentional act rooted in the concept of yi yeol chi yeol, fighting heat with heat. Samgyetang is the centerpiece of this tradition, eaten on Chobok, the first of the three hottest dog days of summer, when the streets of Seoul empty into restaurants with clay pots and waiting lines.

My father took me for samgyetang on Chobok every summer until I left for university. We would go to the same restaurant near our neighborhood, always ordering two pots, always spending at least an hour at the table — sipping the clear, deeply nourishing broth, shredding the chicken with chopsticks, spooning out the rice that had cooked inside the chicken cavity into a soft porridge. The jujubes and garlic added a subtle sweetness to the broth that felt ancient and calming.

Cornish hens are the best substitute outside Korea because of their size — one hen per person is exactly right, and they have the same yield and delicacy as the small yeongye chickens used traditionally. The soaked glutinous rice inside the cavity is what transforms the broth into something substantial. Do not skip skimming the foam in the first five minutes — it keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting.