Boyangsik - Korea’s Medicinal Foods

  

A well known Korean phrase is "Eat healthy and you will stay healthy."

To keep in a healthy state, no medicine beats a fine-cooked meal.

This belief is well reflected in Korea's boyangsik food,

which literally means food that invigorates the body.

 The most popular boyangsik foods in Korea are those

 that have a meat-based broth like samgyetang, seolleongtang, and gomtang.

In terms of traditional Asian medicine, boyangsik food replenishes

 the body, helps circulate energy, and balances the ying and the yang.

 Traditionally, boyangsik was consumed to maintain balance of the body

 (especially during the changing seasons), or to replenish the body in times

of weakness. Nowadays, it is consumed throughout

 the year regardless of the season.

So, try some of the popular Korean boyangsik foods for

their great taste and healthy benefits

 

Samgyetang is the most popular boyangsik food and is

consumed year-round. It is made by boiling

a young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, jujube,

and other ingredients. Its nutritional and caloric value help replenish a weakened body.

The chicken meat is easily plucked from the bone and

can be dipped in a salt and pepper mixture,

while the glutinous rice and broth are equally delicious.

The ginseng and jujube, which are used to add flavor to the soup,

 are very tender as they have been boiled for a long time

Samgyetang is well known to help with maintaining a healthy body temperature

and as a result is eaten in the winter to stay warm and in the summer to feel refreshed.

The dish is considered a special treat during sultry summer days

and is often eaten on the three hottest days of the year,

which are chobok, jungbok, and malbok, the first,

 middle and final of the hottest days of summer, respectively.

Recently, samgyetang dishes are being made with the addition

of new ingredients like abalone and other nutritious ingredients

 

 

- How to Make Samgyetang

- Recommended restaurants

  Hwanghu Myungga serves samgyetang in a traditional royal presentation.
  Tosokchon is famous for samgyetang made with 30 medicinal Asian herbs and a variety of grains.
  Korea Samgyetang has served a rich flavored samgyetang since the 1960s

 

 

 

 

Seolleongtang is made by simmering parts of the bones, head, meat,

and entrails of an ox for about 10 hours.

The milky broth is served warm in a bowl filled with noodles and thin slices

of beef brisket. The hearty yet simple broth is a familiar dish for many

Koreans and a favorite during the winter season.

 The many hours of simmering results in a broth rich in both amino acids

and calcium, which aid in digestion and help replenish a weakened body.

 It is also good for the skin because it is high in collagen from the ox bone.

Seolleongtang was first eaten around 600 years ago during the Joseon dynasty.

The soup was shared with the commoners following a ceremony led

by the king to appease the gods and pray for a good harvest.

The widely popular dish is available in restaurants throughout the nation.

The soup is usually seasoned with some salt and pepper prior to eating.

The noodles and beef brisket are usually eaten first,

while the rice can be added to the broth or enjoyed separately.

To eat in the Korean way, add some kimchi or kkakdugi.

 

 

- How to make seolleongtang
- Recommended restaurants

  Imun Seolnongtang is the oldest restaurant in Korea and has served this dish

  in the same location for over 100 years.
  Gammiok Seolleongtang was selected as a recommended tourism restaurant in Korea.
  Sinchon Seolleongtang is a chain restaurant with several locations.

 

 

Photo Credit: Korea Tourism Association