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Korea boasts a number of festive holidays. Leading the list is Seollal, or New Year, when people enjoy a bowl of tteokguk (rice cake soup) or play traditional games with their families. On Chuseok, the entire family gathers to enjoy the bounties of the autumn harvest. On Dano, people wear colorful hanboks, ride on swings, and wash their hair in iris-essence water. And there is Sambok, when people eat especially nutritious meals and cool off in a mountain brook during the hottest period of summer.
If you have ever been to Korea or have an interest in the country, you may have heard a little about the holidays of Seollal, Chuseok, and Dano. How about Sambok? The word Sambok may sound unfamiliar to you, but if you want to beat the heat of summer in Korea, then you might want to learn more about it. Here is what Korean people enjoy doing during Sambok.
What is Sambok?
In the past when most Koreans depended on farming for their livelihood, all family members worked in the fields from spring to fall. But when the scalding heat of summer made field work nearly impossible, everyone would take a short respite from the sizzling sun. Part of this summertime ritual was eating a carefully prepared, nutritious meal meant to build stamina and cool the body: a wise and easy way to recover from fatigue and gear up for the fall harvest.
Sambok refers to the three hottest days of summer, which mark the peak of the growing season. After these days have passed, farmers look forward to the ripening of the rice. According to the lunar calendar, the sambok period extends over a month and is marked by the three days of chobok (beginning), jungbok (middle), and malbok (last). There is a 10-day interval between chobok and jungbok, and a 20-day interval between jungbok and malbok. This year, chobok is July 20, jungbok is July 30, and malbok is August 9 after the monsoon season (June 10, 20, and July 10 respectively by the lunar calendar). And since Sambok is counted according to the lunar calendar, the days are different every year.
What Do People Do on Sambok Days?
In the past, Sambok was a holiday for farmers worn out by farming chores. During the dynastic period, the royal court distributed ice from the palace icehouse to its high-ranking officials. In those days, however, ice was a rarity for the common people. So, when the heat of summer made it impossible to work the land, people did chores instead, or took a few days off to go to a cooler place.
Usually, people took refuge in a nearby mountain valley or at the seacoast. Such trips were mostly common among housewives. They would flee from labor and spend a leisurely cool summer vacation, enjoying a footbath in a cold mountain brook or a sand bath on the beach. This was also a time for them to visit their parents and family members.
Nowadays, there are no special sambok traditions, but people still continue the custom of eating nutritious and rejuvenating foods, which is why you’ll find a long line of customers waiting to be seated at samgyetang or other sambok-special restaurants.
Korean’s Favorite Sambok Meals!
Koreans are most interested in foods that help restore stamina weakened by the scorching heat, and the most popular are samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) and jangeogui (grilled eel). According to Eastern medicine, blood concentrates near the skin in hot weather in order to cool the body, and this may lead to bad blood circulation in the stomach and muscles. For this reason, it is not uncommon to lose one’s appetite or feel exhausted in summer.
On those days, people will want to eat foods that warm the body. For example, chicken, the main ingredient in samgyetang, warms the body, and ginseng too promotes heat in the body. One might ask: why eat hot foods when the weather is already so hot? From ancient times, the custom was based on the Oriental medicinal theory that even though there is heat in the body, the internal organs are relatively cold. It was believed that by warming up the inner body, not only would one overcome summer heat, it would also prevent illness and fatigue. And because poor nutrition reduced energy, which could ultimately lead to a bad harvest, people usually prepared nutritious and energizing meals on sambok days. It addition to samgyetang, people also eat jangeogui (broiled eel), patjuk (red bean porridge), or summer fruits like melon.
Samgyetang - The Most Popular Sambok Dish
 Samgyetang, the most popular Korean dish for sambok days, is prepared with a tender young chicken (one small chicken each for individual servings), ginseng, garlic, jujube dates, and glutinous rice.
In addition to samgyetang, you can also try the chogyetang (cold noodles with chicken) or yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), which are made from chicken. It is said that a hot meal that induces perspiration has more health benefits than a cold meal in summer.
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Famous Samgyetang Restaurant in Downtown: Tosokchon (土俗村)
 Located near the Gyeongbokgung subway station, Tosokchon is a household name in Seoul. And after news traveled that it was one of President Roh’s favorite restaurants, it became even more popular. If you go during lunch or dinnertime, you will probably have to wait 10 minutes, but since the restaurant is so large, you won’t wait long. Its signature samgyetang is characterized by a deep flavor created with over 30 types of herbs and grains infused in the chicken soup. The dish also contains medicinal jujube dates, glutinous rice, four-year old ginseng, gingko, garlic, and a secret ingredient. Priced at 12,000 won, this truly flavorful dish will keep you full all day long.
Together with samgyetang, the fat-extracted grilled jeongigui tongdak (roast chicken) is also very popular. Easy to find, the restaurant is near Gyeongbokgung Palace and other tourist sites, making it the perfect stop for lunch or dinner.
Tel: +82-2-737-7444/ Fax: +82-2-736-7444
Hours: 10:00~22:00
How to get there: Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 2 → Walk 120 meters ahead and turn left at GS25 convenience store
Price: Samgyetang 12,000 won, Jeongigui Tongdak 11,000 won, Ogolgye Samgyetang 18,000 won, Pajeon 15,000 won, Dakdoritang 30,000 won
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Patjuk Drives Away Spirits, So Why Not Heat?
 Patjuk, red bean gruel, is eaten not only on sambok days, but also on Dongji (winter solstice). Ancient records show that because the color red was avoided by evil spirits, people threw red beans at the front gate of their home or ate red bean porridge to drive away evil spirits. For this reason, it is customary for Koreans to make patjuk in hopes of bringing peace and health to the family. In some regions especially, people have long believed that eating patjuk on sambok days helps drive away heat and illness, so it has become customary to make patjuk. A sweet tasting legume, red beans are rich in protein, fat, fiber, and vitamin B1, and help relieve swelling.
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The Most Famous Danpatjuk in Seoul: Seoulseo Duljjaero Jalhaneun Jip
 Opened in 1976, this restaurant has nothing to offer in terms of exterior or interior décor. However, the traditional teas and danpatjuk (sweet patjuk) made by the owner herself is second to none. Anyone who has been here always comes back for a second helping. On winter days, between 400 and 500 people stop by to enjoy a bowl of danpatjuk. It is, without question, one of the best restaurants in town.
The restaurant’s name belies its reputation, however. Literally meaning ‘the second best in town,’ it seems to reflect the owner’s philosophy that in a world where everybody is wonjo (original or best), someone has to be second. Here, the danpatjuk does not follow the traditional recipe. Unlike the more common type made of rice and red beans, this one uses only red beans to make the gruel and it comes with a serving of rice cake. The size is not adequate for a full meal, but it makes a perfect snack. In summer, try it with a cup of cold sujeonggwa (ginger and cinnamon flavored drink) or sikhye (a sweet rice drink); in winter, the gruel goes perfectly with a cup of hot ssanghwatang, a concoction of many healthy ingredients.
Tel: +82-2-734-5302
Hours: 11:00~22:00 (Closed on holidays)
How to get there: Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5 → Walk along Gyeongbokgung Palace and turn left → At the three-way intersection, take the right into Samcheongdong street and walk ahead → Go pass KBI (Korea Banking Institute) and the restaurant is on your right (20 minutes walk)
Price: Danpatjuk 5,000 won/ Sikye, Sujeonggwa, Saenggangdaechucha (Ginger and jujube tea), Ssanghwatang 4,000 won (Take-out available)
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Chueotang and Jangeogui Make for Younger-Looking Skin
 Rich in vitamin A and E, jangeo, or eel, stimulates blood circulation and helps prevent ageing and wrinkles. Freshwater eel or mudfish has 200 times the vitamin A in beef. Eel is known to be effective for people suffering from rheumatism, pneumonia, or osteoporosis. In Korea, grilled eel is especially popular among men, as it is believed to be an aphrodisiac thanks to the eel’s rich content in zinc. Other natural foods rich in zinc are oysters and abalone, and it is said that the legendary libertine Casanova never forgot to eat 50 oysters a day. Moreover, because of its high retinol content that helps prevent wrinkles and ageing, eel is also widely enjoyed by women.
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Famous Jangeogui Restaurant: Jangchu (長鰍)
 Chungmuro is famous for its restaurants that have been passed down from one generation to another. Once the mecca of Korean movie production, there were numerous movie companies, studios, and theaters. Now, due to high rents and old buildings, many studios and movie companies have left. Today, it is home to the Street of Korean movies, film processing labs and camera shops, as well as innumerable print shops (so many that it is called “printing street”), and PR companies. Because people work at stressful jobs late into the night, there are numerous famous restaurants in the area.
The jangeogui (grilled eel) of Jangchu is cooked in such a way that it doesn’t have a fishy smell, so even people who thought they didn’t like eel come here. The tables are served with eel soup and sseulgaeju (gallbladder beverage), along with ten delicious side dishes. If you order jangeo jeongsik (Eel table d’hote), you will have rice, soup, and a rather small amount of grilled eel. If you order jangeogui, one kilogram is enough to satisfy two people. Customers can rest assured that all the eels served in this restaurant are caught in Korea’s Yeongsangang River.
Tel: +82-2-2274-8992
Hours: 11:30~22:00
How to get there: Subway Line 3 or 4, Chungmuro Station, Exit 5 → Walk ahead and turn right at Geukdong Building → Go pass the first intersection and turn left at the second intersection → Walk for 50 meters and the restaurant is on the right
Price: Jangeojeongsik 15,000 won/ Jangeodeopbap (Bowl of rice topped with boiled eel) 10,000 won/ Jangeogui 1kg 45,000 won
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- Simple Ways Koreans Beat the Summer Heat
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