삼복 보양식
Korea’s heat-wave table — samgyetang logic
Why Koreans eat hot chicken soup in July — sambok calendar, ginseng, and what to order instead if you hate boiling broth in humidity.
Fight heat with heat
On the three hottest 삼복 days, the classic bowl is samgyetang — whole young chicken, sticky rice, ginseng, garlic, jujube. The folk idea is 이열치열: meet heat with heat so you sweat and recover. It is not a spice bomb; salt at the table.
If you will not eat hot soup in July
- Kongguksu — cold soy-milk noodles
- Naengmyeon — iced buckwheat
- Patbingsu — shaved ice after, not instead of a meal
Restaurants still push samgyetang hard in July–August; knowing the calendar explains the queue.
Home timing
Sixty to ninety minutes simmer until joints loosen. Stuff sweet rice so it stays in the cavity. Abroad, dried ginseng from Korean grocers is honest; “ginseng tea bags” are not the same depth — see grocery by country.
FAQ
Is samgyetang spicy?
No. Heat is temperature and garlic, not chili. Chili paste on the side is optional.
When is sambok?
Three midsummer dates on the traditional calendar (usually July–early August). Exact days shift yearly.
Also cook
Updated 2026-09-06