Samgyetang ginseng chicken soup at Tosokchon, Seoul

Photo: Cyprien Delaporte · Unsplash License (Unsplash)

KVIBE IDOLS › Food guides › Korean dishes explained › 삼계탕 (samgyetang)

🍜 Korean dishes explained

What Is Samgyetang?삼계탕 · samgyetang

What is it?

A whole small chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, jujube and garlic, boiled until tender and served bubbling. Koreans traditionally eat it on "boknal", the hottest days of summer, to restore energy.

How to eat it

  1. Pull the meat off with chopsticks; dip it in the salt-pepper mix.
  2. Scoop the rice from inside the chicken into the broth.
  3. Put the bones in the empty bowl provided.
Typical price
₩17,000–25,000
How to order · Say it in Korean삼계탕 하나 주세요.Samgyetang hana juseyo.One samgyetang, please.

Where to try it

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FAQ

Why eat hot soup in summer?

The Korean idea is "fight heat with heat" (이열치열): a nourishing hot meal to recover from summer fatigue.

Is there halal samgyetang?

Yes — halal-certified Korean restaurants near Itaewon's mosque serve it; see our halal guide.

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