Samgyetang is a chicken soup made with a small, whole chicken and ginseng. It is an iconic summer dish in Korea. People eat this boiling hot soup to beat the heat and stay energized during the summer. It is especially popular during sambok, the three hottest days of summer; these days are based on the lunar calendar — chobok (beginning), jungbok (middle) and malbok (end). As the Korean saying goes, eating the hot soup is “fighting the heat with heat.”

Galbi

No visit to Korea is complete without trying Korean barbecue that’s grilled in front of you over an open flame. If you can’t make a trip to Korea, you can also enjoy delicious Korean barbecue at home. Galbi (beef short ribs) is one of the most popular barbecue dishes in Korea, especially for special occasions and gatherings. Delicious Korean barbeque is all about the marinade, and it’s easy to prepare!

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a large bowl of rice topped with a colorful array of individually prepared vegetables and beef, and served with a gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) sauce. Bibim means mixing, and bap means rice. The mixing typically happens at the table right before eating. Sometimes, bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone bowl (dolsot), which gives the bottom layer of rice a nice golden crust. This bibimbap recipe looks long, but it is actually a collection of several easy-to-make side dishes (banchan) using common vegetables such as spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, etc. This recipe uses 7 toppings, but any 3 or 4 of these will make a delightful bibimbap dish. Simply omit the beef for a vegetarian dish.