Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup
Samgyetang is Korea's iconic ginseng chicken soup, made by stuffing a small whole chicken with soaked glutinous rice, fresh ginseng, jujubes, and garlic, then simmering it for over an hour. The glutinous rice inside the cavity absorbs the chicken's juices as it cooks, turning into a thick, porridge-like filling that spills into the broth when the bird is broken open at the table. The ginseng lends a subtle bitterness and herbal depth that distinguishes this soup from plain chicken broth, while jujubes contribute a quiet fruity sweetness. The prolonged cooking dissolves collagen from the skin and joints, giving the broth a silky body despite its clear appearance. Seasoning is left to each diner, who dips the meat into salt and pepper on a side plate. Samgyetang is traditionally consumed during the three hottest days of the Korean summer - a practice rooted in the belief that fighting heat with heat restores depleted energy.
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Instructions
- 1
Soak 100g glutinous rice in water for 30+ minutes. Clean 2 small chickens by removing fat and organs from the cavity.
- 2
Stuff each chicken with soaked rice, 1 ginseng root, 2 jujubes, and 4 garlic cloves. Cross the legs to seal.
- 3
Place chickens in a large pot, add 2L water, and bring to a boil on high heat.
- 4
Skim off foam, reduce to medium-low heat, and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
- 5
The chicken is done when a drumstick comes off easily with chopsticks.
- 6
Serve in a stone pot, top with green onion and pepper. Dip meat in salt on a side plate.
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