A whole young chicken stuffed with sweet glutinous rice, ginseng, jujube and garlic, then simmered into a milky restorative broth. It is commonly eaten on Korea's hottest summer days.
🇰🇷 Korean: 삼계탕🔤 Romanization: samgyetang📍 Nationwide🏷️ restorative · chicken · soup
Taste & texture
Clean, gently savory and comforting — tender chicken and a faint ginseng aroma, with no chili heat in the base broth.
How to eat it
- Pull the chicken off the bone while hot and dip lightly in salt and pepper.
- Spoon up the glutinous rice from inside the bird with the broth.
- Some diners add a small cup of ginseng liquor on the side.
Where to try it
Long-running specialist shops around Jongno and Seochon in Seoul are well known, and you can find it nationwide. A single serving usually runs about ₩15,000–20,000.
🗺️ Where to try it
Frequently asked questions
What is samgyetang?
A Korean restorative chicken soup made by stuffing a young chicken with glutinous rice, ginseng and jujube — often eaten on hot summer days.
Is it spicy?
The base broth is mild, not spicy. Diners add side dishes such as kkakdugi (radish kimchi) or fresh chili to taste.