This week, K-pop idol Jimin, a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, was spotted beating the summer heat the traditional Korean way – with a bowl of Korean samgyetang or ginseng chicken soup.
A fan spotted the singer at a Samgyetang restaurant in South Korea, on July 11, and posted a picture on social media. The photos, which showed Jimin signing an autograph for the restaurant staff, went viral with other fans reposting them on Twitter.
One Twitter user @Magenta6358 explained: “The idol was spotted at a Samgyetang restaurant, dressed in breezy, comfortable clothes as he signed autographs for the employees with a smile…. So glad Jimin gained strength with samgyetang before heading overseas. Stay healthy.”
“Of course, you have to eat Samgyetang on Chobok,” the tweep added. This year, July 11 marked the day known by Koreans as ‘chobok’, which is the first of three of the hottest days of summer.
Collectively known as ‘sambok’ or ‘boknal’ the three hottest days of summer are ‘chobok’, ‘jungbok’, and ‘malbok’.
Traditionally, many Koreans fight off the heat of chobok with a bowl of Samgyetang.
The traditional soup is an herbal treasure. A whole chicken is bathed in a light broth infused with ginseng roots and other herbs that are known to build immunity.
Tweep @sanuzici explained: “Chobok is a day of strong heat where you sweat as soon as you step outside. The Korean custom is to eat ‘Samgyetang’ to help replenish and store energy for a long month of summer.”
Reposting the photos, @NoAbsNoLIfe tweeted: “Jimin ate Samgyetang on Chobok day…. A person who posted these pics on an online fashion community said: ‘Jimin sweetly gave an autograph (to restaurant staff/owner).”
Do you want to beat the summer heat in the UAE with this soup dish? You can find the recipe here.
