Beat the Heat… With More Heat?! 🔥🍲

Why Koreans eat hot soup in summer.

There’s a stretch of Korean summer so hot it has its own name. Three names, in fact.

And the tradition for surviving it isn’t what you’d expect.

Instead of reaching for iced drinks, many Koreans sit down to a steaming bowl of Samgyetang (삼계탕), a nourishing chicken soup that’s been enjoyed for generations.

What is Sambok (삼복)?

Sambok marks Korea’s three hottest days of the year.

This year:

* Chobok (초복): 15 July

* Jungbok (중복): 25 July

* Malbok (말복): 14 August

The dates are calculated using Korea’s traditional lunar-solar calendar and fall roughly ten days apart. Historically, they marked the most exhausting part of summer, when even farmers would slow down and rest.

This tradition has a name: Iyeol Chiyeol (이열치열).

It literally means “fight heat with heat.”

The belief is that intense summer heat drains your energy, and a hot, nourishing meal helps restore your body from within.

It’s traditional folk wisdom rather than medical advice, but it’s a custom that’s been passed down through generations and is still widely followed today.

Meet Samgyetang (삼계탕)

At the heart of Sambok is Samgyetang: a whole young chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube, simmered into a comforting, boiling hot soup.

The name itself tells the story:

* Sam (삼) = ginseng

* Gye (계) = chicken

* Tang (탕) = soup

On Boknal, it’s common to see long queues outside Samgyetang restaurants across Korea. For many families, it’s a summer ritual shared around the table every year.

A Miss Kim twist

Making your own Samgyetang this Boknal?

Try scattering Miss Kim Sea Salt Nurungji over the top for an extra layer of crispy toasted rice and a satisfying crunch.

It’s our little twist on a timeless Korean classic.

Would you try hot soup on the hottest day of the year? 🔥🍲