Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

Small whole young chickens (poussin, about 500 g / 1 lb each), cleaned — 2
Glutinous (sweet) rice, soaked 1 hour — 100 g (1/2 cup)
Fresh or dried ginseng roots — 2
Garlic cloves, peeled — 8
Dried jujubes (Korean red dates) — 4
Water — 2 L (8 cups)
Salt — 1 tsp (5 g)
Spring onion, finely sliced, for garnish — 1
Black pepper, to serve

Method

Drain the soaked glutinous rice and stuff each chicken cavity with the rice, a ginseng root, half the garlic cloves and 2 jujubes, packing loosely so the rice has room to expand.
Secure the cavity closed with a toothpick or kitchen string if needed, and tuck the legs to hold everything in.
Place the stuffed chickens in a large pot and add enough water to fully cover them.
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook gently for 1 to 1.5 hours until the chicken is completely tender and the rice is fully cooked.
Season the broth with salt in the final 10 minutes.
Serve each chicken whole in a deep bowl with plenty of hot broth, garnished with spring onion and a grind of black pepper; provide extra salt and pepper at the table for guests to adjust to taste.

Introduction: Samgyetang is a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube, simmered until tender.

Cultural Background: Samgyetang is a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic and jujube, simmered until tender. It is eaten on Korea's sambok — the three hottest days of the lunar summer calendar — following the folk belief in fighting heat with heat (iyeol chiyeol), using a hearty hot soup to restore strength during the most draining part of the year.

Tips: Use small young chickens (poussin-sized) — this is a defining feature of samgyetang and gives the tender texture the dish is known for. Simmer gently rather than boiling hard, which can toughen the chicken and cloud the broth.

Variations: Heuk-gyesamtang: made with black-boned Korean silkie chicken, believed to have extra health benefits. Add a few chestnuts to the stuffing for natural sweetness and texture. There is no authentic vegetarian version of samgyetang, as the whole chicken is central to the dish; a plant-based ginseng and mushroom broth can be made separately for a different, non-traditional soup.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered pot over low heat until piping hot throughout; avoid a hard boil, which can dry out the chicken.

FAQs:

Q: Can I use a regular whole chicken instead of poussin?

A: A small chicken works, but reduce the number of servings or increase cooking time slightly, and expect a less delicate texture than traditional poussin-sized birds.

Q: Where can I find fresh ginseng?

A: Korean and Asian grocery stores typically stock fresh or dried ginseng roots specifically labelled for samgyetang; dried is a widely available substitute.

Q: Why is this eaten in summer rather than winter?

A: It follows the Korean folk principle of fighting extreme heat with a hot, nourishing meal to replenish strength lost to summer heat, eaten specifically on the year's hottest days.