[dropcap size=big]G[/dropcap]race Chang, a thirty-something mother of three, inched in traffic through the congested streets of Los Angeles in 90 degree weather from La Crescenta to Koreatown in the belief that slurping up a still boiling bowl of chicken ginseng soup to help them cope with the scorching weather.
She wasn’t alone. She was one of cavalcade of believers on a recent scorching Thursday afternoon waiting for a seat outside Buil Samgyetang, an unassuming eatery on West 3rd Street, across the street from a shoe repair shop in the heart of Koreatown.
Samgyetang is soup made from a young whole chicken stuffed with healthy ingredients such as glutinous rice, red dates, ginseng and garlic. It’s usually served still boiling in an individual pot called a dolsut which helps retain the soup’s heat.
The whole idea is to eat it while it’s hot, to fight fire with fire. I know because I lived in South Korea on and off for about 20 years, and ate samgyetang more times than I can count.