What Do Korean Eat for Summer? Stay Cool, Be Healthy!

Korean food has its own distinct cuisine, developed over several thousand years. Many Koreans consider food as medicine and importance yin and yang approach when considering ingredients of dishes. It is all about balance of flavors and nutrients that makes Korean food healthy and delicious. 

Aside from these healthy meals, what do Koreans consider as most healthy dish? 

Dish that brings health and energy? Answer: "Bo-yang-sik "

What is this long line for? Especially on a hot summer day?  

These people are waiting in line at a restaurant to eat Samgyetang. 

During summer it is hot, you are sweating, and easily get tired in this weather. 

 Koreans love to boost their energy by eating "Boyangsik" 

which is considered Energy Obtaining Foods 

1. Samgyetang is one of the dishes that is eaten the most during summers. 

Main ingredient: Whole chicken (1 kg), two ginseng roots, 1 cup glutinous rice (160 g)

Other ingredients: 6 cloves of garlic, 2 jujube, 5 chestnut, 7 cups of water (1.4 L), salt/pepper to taste 

Cooking time: 90 min  

Recipe: 

1. Wash the glutinous rice in water and soak it for 1 hour

2. Fill the chicken (1/2 full) with soaked glutinous rice, chestnut, jujube, garlic, and ginseng. 

3. Tie both ends of the chicken with a string  

4. Add water to a pot and add rest of the ginseng, chestnut, garlic, and jujube 

5. Boil for 1 hour 

2. Eel is considered a food that gives you stamina. Koreans love to eat eel grilled, baked, stewed, in soups, and all sorts of ways.
Grilled eel is most often eaten ways by Koreans, and they enjoy them either by salt flavor or hot pepper paste sauce flavored.

Main Ingredient: Eel, 

Sauce ingredient: 4 Tsp Gochujang (red hot pepper paste), 2Tsp starch syrup, 1Tsp sake,

1 Tsp  minced garlic, 1 Tsp  minced ginger, 1tsp seseme oil, 2Tsp soy sauce 

Cooking time: 30 min 

Recipe: Add the ingredients together for the sauce and place the sauce on the eel as you grill it on a pan or BBQ grill 

Eel is known to contain unsaturated fatty acids (good fat), calcium, mucin, and all sorts of vitamins and minerals. 

 Eel provides healthy nutrients for your skin and is a great anti-aging food. Vitamin E and retinol substance in eel is known to make your blood vessels stronger.

 3. Chuotang has distinctive yes or no by Koreans as well. Some Koreans love it and some don't. But we cannot deny that it has rich source of nutrients. The dish is full of proteins and minerals (especially calcium). It is more enjoyed by older generations.

Main ingredient: loach (1 kg), cabbage ( 400 g), hot peppers, chives 

Other ingredient: sesame oil, garlic, leek, ginger, water, salt, bean paste, hot pepper powder, flour 

1. Wash the loaches in salt for 20 min and rub with 1 cup of flour 

Recipe: 

1. Cut the cabbages, leek, hot pepper into slices

2. Mix bean paste and hot pepper powder with blanched cabbages

3. In a pot add the washed loaches, salt, sesame oil and cook it for 20 min

4. In a blender, mince the cooked ingredients from 3 

5. Add 2 & 3 in a pot and garlic, ginger, chives, leek, and hot pepper all together

6. Cook it till it comes to a boil 

4. Kong-guksu is one of seasonal dishes that is most enjoyed during summers next to naengmyeon. Cold soup is made out of beans used for tofu.

Main ingredient: tofu, milk, thin noodles 

Other ingredient: salt and sugar to taste, variety of topping of one's choice 

Beans are full of protein, fiber and  saponin (substance known to lower cholesterol level). This dish is good for vegetarians and those who are on a weight control. 

Recipe:

1. Add tofu and milk in a blender and mix it till it is fine

2. Boil thin noodles in water till its cooked. Wash it in cold water once its cooked. 

3. Add 1&2 with ice to make it cooler 

5. Add sugar or salt for taste. Topping to one's choice ( Most Koreans add sliced cucumbers, eggs, or sesame seeds) 

 How about trying these "Bo-yang-sik" this summer? Stay cool and eat right!