Meaning the beginning, middle and end days of the hottest period of the season, the annual chobok, jungbok and malbok fall every 10 days between the sixth and seventh month of the lunar calendar. This year’s chobok was July 13, and jungbok and malbok will fall on July 23 and Aug. 12 respectively.

Kim Nam-seok, the 67-year-old owner of a stationery store, said his family made samgyetang at home for chobok. In addition to samgyetang, Kim also seeks out other food that is supposedly good for one’s health in the sweltering summer.

“I eat it out of tradition more than anything, no other reason,” he said, but added that samgyetang makes him feel more energized.

“It makes me a bit happier afterward,” he said.

Tasting relatively bland compared to other Korean dishes, the chicken soup is believed to be effective in restoring lost energy and appetite from the sweltering heat. The chicken and its broth are rich in protein, and the glutinous rice stuffed inside is a good source of carbohydrates.

The herbal ingredients such as ginseng, garlic and jujubes are also commonly found in oriental medicine and boast health benefits such as boosting the immune system and blood circulation.

Yoon Mi-ra, a 45-year-old homemaker, also had samgyetang for the occasion, and even added extra seafood such as small octopuses and abalones for added benefits. “The energy of seafood and chicken go together and make the soup more invigorating,” she said.

“I eat samgyetang because it’s hot in the summer, and also because it’s a tradition that’s been passed down from long ago,” she added.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)