Samgyetang

Hangul	삼계탕 / 계삼탕
Hanja	蔘鷄湯 / 鷄蔘湯
Revised; Romanization	samgyetang / gyesamtang
McCune-; Reischauer	samgyet'ang / kyesamt'ang

Samgyetang
Korean name
Hangul	삼계탕 / 계삼탕
Hanja	蔘鷄湯 / 鷄蔘湯
Revised; Romanization	samgyetang / gyesamtang
McCune-; Reischauer	samgyet'ang / kyesamt'ang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Samgyetang (Korean pronunciation: [samɡjetʰaŋ]) is a variety of guk or Korean soup, whose main ingredients are a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng.^[1] The dish's name literally means "ginseng chicken soup", so sometimes is called as such in English.^[2] Samgyetang is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replaces those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summers in Korea.

[edit] Preparation and serving

For making samgyetang, a whole young chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice and boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng, dried seeded jujube fruits, garlic, and ginger. Depending on the recipe, other medicinal herbs such as wolfberry (gugija), Codonopsis pilosula (dangsam), and Angelica sinensis (danggwi) may also be added.

Like chicken soup, which is thought to help common sicknesses in the West, samgyetang is held in Korea to be not only a cure for physical ailments but a preventer of sickness. Proteins, minerals, and hormones from the whole chicken mixed with the beneficial properties of the ingredients combined in the dish makes it a revered culinary item in South Korea. Only whole uncut ingredients are used for the dish, as they are believed to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients.

Many Koreans enjoy it on three specific days in summer: "Chobok," "Jungbok," and "Malbok," which Koreans believe to be the hottest and most sultry of the year.

Specialty restaurants common in Korea serve nothing but samgyetang, having gained local popularity through their special recipe for the dish which are often kept secret. The dish is usually accompanied by side dishes and, in some restaurants, a small complimentary bottle of insamju (ginseng wine) is included.