Summer has arrived in Korea! With temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius, high humidity and monsoon rain on the way, it's not an easy time of the year. Even if the weather starts to get you down, you can look forward to these delicious summer dishes that will cool you down and give you energy to survive this season.
Samgyetang (삼계탕)
Now I know what you're thinking, why are you suggesting a hot soup in the summer? Stay with me on this one! My colleague told me that Koreans say you should fight the summer heat by eating hot food, similar to the saying, 'fight fire with fire'! Not only is this dish delicious, but it is full of the nutrients you need to keep up your energy so that you can survive the summer.
Samgyetang is a ginseng chicken soup. It is a small chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube in a steaming broth. You might be surprised, but this is a portion for one person! The broth itself is quite mild so people often add some salt to season it. A lot of restaurants provide the salt in a small dish so you sometimes see people dipping pieces of the chicken directly into the salt. There are often dipping sauces like soy sauce with raw onion for example, but these often vary between restaurants.
If you'd like to try Samgyetang this summer, I tried the dish in the photo above at this restaurant:
Jiho Medicinal Herb Ginseng Chicken Soup
Address: 471-18, Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Naengmyeon (냉면)
If you're looking for something cool to eat then this dish is for you. Now I know for some a bowl of noodles floating in an icy broth can be a little daunting - I didn't think I'd like it either - but it's become one of my favourite Korean dishes and I find myself craving it during the summer months.
There are various types of Naengmyeon, but my favourite is Mul Naengmyeon (물 냉면) which is pictured above. Naengmyeon is a cold noodle dish made with a tangy, chilled broth and thin, chewy buckwheat noodles. The noodles are very long and hard to bite through, so you might want to use the scissors to cut them in half before eating. Toppings for the noodles are usually thin slices of cucumber, Korean pear, or pickled radish with a boiled egg or a thin slice of beef. The recipe varies between restaurants. For some, the broth is a little mild so there are spicier options, or you can add mustard or vinegar to give it a bit of a kick. It's definitely a cool and refreshing dish, perfect for the summer.
If you'd like to try Mul Naengmyeon this summer, I tried the dish in the photo above at this restaurant:
Alcheon Noodle Restaurant
Address: 47-24, Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Makgugsu (막국수)
Makguksu originates from Gangwon-do, Korea's largest and most north eastern province. It is pretty similar to Naengmyeon, but a higher concentration of buckwheat flour is used when making the noodles and the dishes usually incorporate more vegetables than Naengmyeon. As with Naengmyeon, the noodles are very long and hard to bite through, so you might want to use the scissors to cut them in half before eating. There are several variations of Makguksu, and the one pictured above was made with savoury perilla oil and soy sauce.
If you'd like to try Makguksu this summer, I tried the dish in the photo above at this restaurant:
Bangtae Buckwheat Noodles
Address: 387-2, Haenghyeon-ri, Sang-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
Bingsu (빙수)
This dessert is a favourite in the summer months. Bingsu usually makes its debut around late spring/early summer and there are some cafes that sell it all year round. A great alternative to ice cream, Bingsu is made by shaving frozen cream or milk which creates fluffy ice flakes that are traditionally topped red bean, red bean paste, rice cakes and ground nut powder.
However, these days there are so many other toppings available, ranging from fresh seasonal fruits, to candy, cookies and syrup. Popular toppings include strawberries, berries and mango, and there are several different flavours, including chocolate and green tea. There are so many variations and flavours that it would be impossible to list them all here!
It's common in Korea to have large portion sizes that can be shared family-style and desserts are often not an exception. Most places serve a bowl of Bingsu large enough for 2 or more people, but there are some places that serve individual portions, so look out for those if you're a solo traveller. Sulbing (설빙) is Korea's most popular Bingsu cafe and you can find them in many locations across Korea. But, there are many other cafes that serve this dish across Korea.
If you'd like to try Bingsu this summer, here is a list of the cafes where I tried the dishes in the photos above:
Picture 1
Poem
Address: 54-7, Myeong-dong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Picture 2
Namdobokguk
Address: 101-1, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
Pictures 3, 4, 5
Sulbing
(various locations)
So why not give them a try this summer? And let me know what your favourite Korean summer food is.
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