Whether we like it or not, in summer it is bound to get hot. Even in England, known for being wet and cloudy. The glorious summer weather is indeed glorious, until the sun gets the best of you and your body is over come from the heat. South Korea is well known for it’s hot summers, with heat going up to 30 on an average summers day. The monsoon season that follows the heat is also a feature of Korea. Thanks to these hot summers, Korea has a lot of different food, made specifically for the Summer and chasing the heat away. In this blog we will introduce just a few of the different dishes you could cook yourself on a hot day at home.

1. Naeng-myeon 냉면

Naengmyeon which literally translates to ‘cold noodles’, is made of thin and long handmade noodles made of flour and different starches. The two main varieties of naengmyeon are mul naengmyeon (물 냉면) and bibim naengmyeon (비빔 냉면). The former is served as a cold soup with the noodles contained in ice cold and refreshing soup which can be made from different stocks and broths. The Bibim naengmyeon is served with a spicy dressing which mainly consists of gochujang (red chili paste). There are also a lot of other varieties of naengmyeon which all have different charms and features. With all of them being served ice-cold, they are definitely a good dish to turn to on a hot day.

2. Kong-guk-su 콩국수

This dish is definitely unique to Korean cuisine. The wheat-flour made noodles is served with cold soy milk broth to give a creamy, refreshing and nutritious dish. A bowl of kong-gui-su is perfect when you want to treat yourself in the summertime. Making soy milk is not as hard as you may think. The soybeans are soaked, then cooked and pureed until smooth. The final product is definitely worth the process!

3. Samgyetang 삼계탕

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) is an iconic summer dish in Korea. This hot, steaming, delicious dish is a traditional Korean soup known for being nutritious and healthy. Its main distinguished feature is the fact that one bowl contains one whole chicken for one person to eat by themselves! Despite being a hot soup it is popular in summer; Koreans often say ‘you fight the heat with the heat.’ 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 as well as lowering the body heat by emitting sweat. It is extremly popular so is definitely worth trying. Why don’t you check out our Samgyetang recipe and try making your own!

4. Kalguksu 칼국수

Kalguksu which literally translates to ‘knife noodles’ is handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served with hot broth and other ingredients. The noodles are made from scratch, which makes this dish very special and welcome in any home, or alternatively you can use commercial noodles which you can easily find in Korean stores or online. You can choose the main ingredient ranging from seafood to chicken. The Dak-kalguksu which uses chicken is the most popular as it is easy and cheap to make. Again, aligning with the Samgyetang theory of fighting heat with heat, this dish is popular on hot days.

5. Bingsu 빙수

Our last suggestion is a dessert dish that is widely recognised between people outside of Korea as well. Bingsu is a popular Korean dessert that is shaved ice with sweet toppings that such as chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans. The most common variety is Pat-bingsu (Korean: 팥빙수), the red bean shaved ice. Ice-shaving machines and Bingsu machines are now widely available online due to the vast popularity of the dessert. You can also check out some Korean cafes in London, Soho that sell the Bingsu. They are so tasty!

We hope these dishes help you fight off the heat this Summer. Although these dishes are popular in on hot days, we guarantee you can enjoy them on any day of the year!