Korea’s rainy season lasted particularly long this year. But the rainy days are behind us now and the sizzling summer has come, with temperatures soaring well above 30 degrees Celsius. You can’t help but become exhausted and irritated by the intolerable heat wave, but there are ways to cool off and reenergize yourself, and the most delicious and enjoyable way to do that is to have Koreans’ favorite summer foods. Today’s episode of Trend Korea is going to be a whirlwind exploration of good summer eats like the chicken and ginseng soup, the mudfish soup, naengmyeon or cold buckwheat noodle, noodle in soymilk, and many, many more.

In the olden days when Korea was a traditional agricultural society governed by the movement of the sun, the four seasons were subdivided into 24 periods. The summer season was divided into “sambok” or three hot periods: chobok, or the early summer; jungbok or the mid-summer, and malbok, the end of summer. These three days of the summer were considered the hottest days of the year, which gave our ancestors a great excuse to indulge in nutrition-rich dishes to replenish their heat-exhausted minds and bodies. This tradition of having energizing foods is passed down to modern times and enjoyed to the fullest, as demonstrated by the long lines of people waiting in front of restaurants specializing in energy-boosting dishes. Here’s doctor of Oriental medicine Kim Dal-rae.

The summer is hot and humid in Korea, causing our bodies to expend that much energy. You need to conserve energy in winter by putting on more clothes, but in summer you can’t do that to control the energy loss due to perspiration and heat exhaustion. Farmers would eat three square meals a day plus a hearty snack in the afternoon to replace their energy. In the past Koreans used to have no other high-calorie foods than rice, so they had big vegetarian meals with very little meat, perhaps only one or two occasions per year to have animal protein dishes. In contrast, modern day Koreans take in too many calories. Still, people need more calories and diverse nutrients in the summer, because people usually remain active longer than any other time of the year and spend much more energy.

Korea’s iconic summertime energy-boosting dish is samgyetang or chicken and ginseng soup, which is made by boiling chicken with ginseng, jujube, chestnut, milk vetch root and assorted medicinal herbs. Samgyetang supposedly warms your digestive system, which is why this dish is perfect for the hot summer when people usually seek out cold foods.

A medical textbook written in the late Joseon period says samgyetang has medicinal efficacy. The soup is supposedly good for people who suffer from chronic diarrhea, have no appetite, or have a cold constitution. In the olden days the soup was thicker, because it was cooked longer. Traditional doctors used to prescribe a thick soup made with ginseng, chicken, jujube, ginger, and honey for people with a cold stomach and poor digestion. Chicken was the most available source of animal protein for Koreans in the olden days and when it was cooked long enough, the meat and cartilage would become tender, making it easy for people to take in protein and collagen.

- We have more customers these days. They come here to build up their energy. We add a special ingredient to our samgyetang and our customers say the broth is really delicious and savory.



The savory smell from the piping hot samgyetang is enough to perk up your energy. Having been cooked at a low temperature for a long time, the meat falls apart from the bone, and even the cartilages have become tender. The inside of the chicken is filled with sticky rice to add starch to the protein-rich dish and all the medicinal herbs make the broth strangely aromatic. For many people, there is nothing more healthful and satisfying than a bowl of samgyetang.

- I really love samgyetang. I like the tender meat and I feel more invigorating after eating samgyetang. I eat it often because I feel better the next day. This summer is going to be bearable with energy-boosting samgyetang.
- It’s really good. The broth is so thick and savory, and the chicken is really fresh. Today is the eve of jungbok so I have to eat samgyetang. The meat has great texture and I can’t stop eating.

Another soup that shares samgyetang’s iconic summer food status is the mudfish soup with spicy bean paste. The hot and spicy soup containing ground mudfish is another hearty offering great for refreshing your body. People say they usually feel cooler and regenerated after having sweated out the impurities while eating the mudfish soup.

I was so busy today with so many customers. I have been running this restaurant for 35 years now and every one of my customers enjoyed my soup. The mudfish soup is an energy-booster so it’s great after you have perspired a lot. This is a great summertime food.

Mudfish soup was originally an autumn dish. It helped people restore their energy depleted during the hot summer. But mudfish is a high-protein ingredient, which is why people sought it out in the summertime to replenish energy. Here’s doctor of Oriental medicine Kim Dal-rae again.

Mudfish is called chueo in Korean. “Chu” means autumn and “eo” means fish, because it supposedly tastes best in autumn. The fish is rich in collagen and easy to digest. The mudfish soup is especially suited to those who frequently have indigestion, poor appetite, lack of energy, and are lethargic.

Mudfish is rich in vitamins A, B, and D, as well as calcium, protein, amino acids, and minerals. It’s great for hangover and boosts your vigor and improves your skin tone, blood vessels, and digestive system. It has all the nutrients you need to survive the summer heat.

- I’ve waited 20 minutes. I have this soup when I need to energize myself. I feel much stronger the day after I had it.
- My father loves mudfish soup, so I came with him. It’s spicy and savory, and it’s great for the summer.
- I came for this because today’s is a bok day. It’s really energizing.
- The fish is supposedly caught in the wild. No wonder it’s delicious. I feel invigorated.
- My job was physically demanding, but now that I had a bowl of mudfish soup, I feel the power surging through my body.



Not to be left out among the summertime energizing foods is the eel. Eels swim thousands of kilometers in the sea without eating, attesting to its vigor and endurance. The symbol of stamina, eels sound powerful even when they are being cooked on the grill.

The oil from the eel is a healthy kind that gives an appetizing sheen to the fish. Just watching the buttery fish being grilled is enough to make your mouth water.

- You have to eat the eel with a sesame leaf, the sauce, some ginger strips, and slices of garlic. This is the best!
- This is so good. I feel different already.
- The tail is the best part. All the power is concentrated in the tail.
- There is nothing like the eel to replenish your energy in the summer.

Eels are rich in vitamins A, B, and C and are known for its skin-smoothing and restorative properties. The slippery fish is also a well-known its anti-aging and vitality-boosting effects. Its high unsaturated fatty acid content helps prevent many illnesses, protect children’s vision, and enhance concentration. Eels are a must-have dish for everyone in the family. However, since the fish is very fatty and high in calorie, it should be eaten with vegetables. Here’s doctor of Oriental medicine Kim Dal-rae to explain more.

Eels are high in calorie, so they are suitable for only certain people. It has a high fat and protein content, so eat it with vegetables, like lettuce and onion. Koreans love to wrap meat and fish in leafy vegetables, so try to eat eels that way to keep the calories low.

So far all the summertime dishes were meat-based. Isn’t there anything for vegetarians? But of course there is.

- The broth is so nutty. I like it the way it is, but my wife only likes the soybean broth. The soymilk broth is so thick and buttery. The broth alone fills me up. It’s just as nutritious as other meat dishes.

Tender noodles are hidden under the milky soybean broth and the dish is garnished with cucumber slices and black sesame seeds.

I cook the soybeans and then rinse them in cold water. Then I add more water, salt, and sesame seeds when I grind the beans. When the noodle is served, I put ice, cucumber garnish, and black sesame seeds.

Kongguksu or noodle in soybean broth is another summertime favorite. Soybean contains no cholesterol but has a substance called isoflavone which enhances immunity and antioxidant effect. Here’s doctor of Oriental medicine Kim Dal-rae to explain more.

Kongguksu is the best-known vegetarian food for summer. You don’t have to worry about calories, because both soybeans and cucumbers are low in calories. Soybeans originated in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, so it is a very familiar ingredient for Koreans. Soybeans help keep the body temperature low and they are low fat but rich in plant protein. Koreans in average are tall compared to other Asians, thanks to their high intake of soybeans. Soybeans are just as high in protein as meat, so it’s also good for people to eat more beans.



The kongguksu broth is made by grinding cooked soybeans. This gives a nice, thick density to the broth and makes the dish more substantial. Kongguksu can be a nutritious and tasty substitute for rice when you lose your appetite in the summer.

- Naengmyeon is the best in summer. There’s nothing like it. It cools me down and it’s really delicious.
- It’s cold and chewy and great for perking up my appetite. I was standing in line a little while ago. It seems to taste even better after a long wait.

Another popular summer noodle dish is naengmyeon, literally translated to cold noodle. Made with buckwheat flour and chilled broth, naengmyeon effectively cools you down. It’s much lower in calories than samgyetang, mudfish soup, or grilled eels, so it’s a nice option for those looking to keep themselves in shape while still enjoying a summer treat. Here’s doctor of Oriental medicine Kim Dal-rae to explain more.

Naengmyeon is made is buckwheat, which has a cold constitution. There is also a substance called rutin which prevents hardening of the arteries. The starch in buckwheat flour tends to cool the body down, so it is better to have radish with naengmyeon to aid digestion.

This year August 12th marks malbok, the last hot day of summer. So you still have many more days to enjoy these delicious and nutritious summer dishes.