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Samgyetang is famous as a summer- vitalizing food for natives
and is justly popular among foreigners visiting Korea. Our ancestors
used to gather under the shade of the tree or sit around the
river and eat samgyetang in order to nurture their minds and
protect their bodies from the summer heat.
A young chicken, which is somewhat larger than a chick, is used
for Younggyebaeksook. Younggye was first used as Yeonggye, which
means soft meat chicken, and was changed to Younggye, meaning
young chickens that have not yet laid eggs. Younggyebaeksook
is cooked by washing the young chicken, then the internal organs are
removed, and the interior is stuffed with sweet rice, a chestnut,
garlic and a Chinese date. Then, the chicken is boiled in its
broth until the soup is white in color.
Samgyetang may taste plain to some, but its a healthy food
that is especially good for those who perspire easily and have
weak digestive organs. However, people who have high body temperatures
or allergies should avoid the dish, as it boosts body temperature.
When cooking Samgyetang, its better to use undried ginseng;
if dried ginseng is used, its necessary to crush the ginseng
well. Ginseng, Chinese dates and milk vetch root are medicinal
herbs that can be easily found in Korea, and are thus considered
traditional dishes among Koreans. Ginseng speeds up the metabolism
of the body and is good for recovering from fatigue. Garlic
acts as a tonic, and Chinese dates protect the stomach and also
prevent anemia. |
 Written
by Professor Yoon Sook-ja
Photos by Ryu Seunghoo and courtesy
Professor Yoon Sook-ja
Professor Yoon is Chief of the Institute of
Traditional Korea Food & Director of Tteok
and Kitchen Utensil Museum |
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● Ingredients |
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• Four young
chickens (2kg)
• Sweet rice, 1 3/4 cups (280g)
• Undried ginseng,
8 medium-size roots (180g)
• Green onion, 1 stem (20g)
• Water, 30 cups (6L) |
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● Sauce |
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• Garlic, 12 cloves
(80g)
• Chinese dates, 12 (20g)
• Salt, 3 Tbsp (45g)
• Pepper, 1 tsp (7g) |
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| ● Cooking Instructions |
| 1. |
Wash chicken well and remove internal organs,
if not already removed. |
| 2. |
Wash sweet rice and soak in water for two hours. Garlic and
Chinese date are used whole. Wash undried ginseng and slice
green onion. |
| 3. |
Stuff sweet rice, garlic, Chinese date, undried ginseng into
belly of the chicken. Cross and tie with string the chicken's
legs to retain the stuffed ingredients inside. Do same with
three remaining chickens. |
| 4. |
Put chickens in the pot and boil in water for 40-45 minutes
until the broth appears white. Sprinkle salt, pepper and green
onion. |
| 5. |
Serves four. |
* Cooking Tip
Make sure the rice is thoroughly cooked in the chicken's belly before
serving. |
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| The
article courtesy of SEOUL magazine |
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