In front of my former work place in Korea, there was a famous Ginseng Chicken Soup Restaurant. So whenever my colleagues from the head-office visited our office in Korea we took them out that restaurant and had nice Ginseng chicken soups. These friends were French and had not had much experience with Korean food so at first, I thought they wouldn’t like it, but unlike my prediction they loved it very much!! I think they enjoyed the tender young chicken meat and its delicious, rich broth which gives an oriental flavour. I realised it wasn’t just my friends who enojyed Samgyetang, but many people who were not familiar with Korean foods really enjoyed the dish! You should try it out, you may find you really like it.

What does Samgyetang literally mean?

Samgyetang ‘Sam’ (삼) represents the ginseng (insam 인삼), ‘gye’ (계) means chicken and ‘tang’ (탕) means soup, thus coming to make the name, Samgyetang (삼계탕). It is an iconic dish, grouped in Korean Boyangsik (보양식), which refers to food that strengthens and replenishes the body. These Boyansiks, particularly Samgyetang, are known to recover fatigue, stabilize blood pressure, improve immune function and many other benefits.

When do you eat Samgyetang?

In Korea, Samgyetang is a hot soup but it is popular in summer; Koreans often say ‘you fight the heat with the heat!’ This saying stems from the scientific wisdom of our ancestors. In summer, blood flow increases near the skin and decreases in the internal organs, leading to the cooling of the organs and reduction of appetite and energy. Eating a hot dish like Samgyetang packed with nourishing ingredients can facilitate blood flow in the internal organs and thus help recover appetite and energy. It also lowers body heat by emitting sweat. Therefore, Koreans like to eat samgyetang during “sambok” which refers to the three hottest days of the year. During the “sambok” days, Samgyetang restaurants are crowded with people wanting a bowl of Samgyetang

History of Samgyetang

It was first documented in a 1917 recipe book that focused on how the deep and flavoursome tastes are made in the broth. The Samgyetang originated from prestigious families who could afford ingredients such as ginseng and insam (인삼) which were considered precious. It was originally called ‘Gyesamtang’ as the chicken was considered the main ingredient. The dish began to be sold in restaurants in the 1950s and became popular nationwide in the 60s. It was during this popularisation that the name was changed the Samgyetang in order to emphasise the Ginseng (insam) more than the chicken, the words explained in the first paragraph of this blog, changed order according to what was considered the main ingredient.

Cooking Samgyetang

As you can find in our own Samgyetang recipe, this dish contains many different nutritious and healthy ingredients, particularly in the broth. As long as you have the right ingredients, cooking Samgyetang is relatively simple compared to other Korean dishes. There are even Samgyetang kits which are commercially packaged dry ingredients that are sold in Korean/Asian grocery shops and online.

Samgyetang and Ddukbaegi

Samgyetnag is also particularly popular due to the concept of having one whole chicken, in one bowl, served for one person. Most Samgyetang restaurants use Ddukbaegi when they cook and serve Samgyetang. The Ddukbaegi retains heat, so it keeps the Samgyetang broth warm for a long time.

Personally I cook Samgyetang when I feel a lack of energy or want to recover from fatigues. I have regularly cooked the dish during the lockdown period while at home with my two boys. Cooking Samgyetang was easy as I just needed collate the ingredients and then boil them. It brought me comfort that this food will boost my families’ immune system.