Korean Traditional Medicine and Its Connection with Food

I always thought that Korean food was delicious and healthy, but I never really knew how nutritious it was. Many of the ingredients in the dishes I’ve had so far in Korea are foreign to me. I either have never heard of it or I have never tried it before. This is why when I found out of cooking classes that teach you how to cook Korean dishes and the meaning behind the ingredients, I immediately signed up.

The course was going to be taught based on Donguibogam (동의보감) which is a Korean medical book compiled by Heo Jun (허준) who was a royal physician during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. It is a Korean national treasure that provides insight into medical knowledge and treatments that were used and continue to be used in Korean traditional medicine.

The class consisted of 1 cooking class per week for four weeks with 1 hour of lecture and 2 hours of cooking time. Korean traditional medicine doctors came to give the lecture and explain the importance of the dish in the Korean diet. All materials were provided. For only 40,000 won (35 USD) for four cooking classes, it was a great deal!

In the lecture, we learned about yin and yang and how important it is to keep our bodies balanced. For example, yang is hot while yin is cold so if the human body experiences a rise in blood pressure and body fluid this is because of yang. But if the human body experiences a decline in blood pressure and body fluid then this is because of yin. So if the body leans too much towards yin or towards yang this is when we become sick.

In order to help the body maintain the balance of yin and yang, food plays a very important role. Every ingredient used in a meal has a purpose for our body. This was very interesting to learn. So here are just a few things I learned about each dish and the ingredients used.

1. Samgyetang (삼계탕)

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5ba90f_d7a1030adfbf43e8bc7e49033f066088/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

This chicken soup is a popular dish in Korea, especially during the summer. The three hottest days in summer are known as sambok (삼복) and in order to beat the heat….well you eat a hot soup. I always thought my mom was so strange to serve us soup on some of the hottest days in summer but this is exactly what your body needs (sorry mom for not believing you). According to the traditional doctor, during the summer we lose a lot of energy so our body turns cold. Therefore we need something hot to gain back our energy. There is a Korean saying “fight fire with fire” (이열치열). So whether you are sick, feeling low energy, or just in the mood for a soup this is the dish for you!

These are the ingredients of this nutritious chicken soup. You are served a whole baby chicken that has been raised for about 35 days. The most popular and well-known root in Korea is ginseng. It's grown for 4-6 years and it helps to recover fatigue, stabilizes the mind, strengthens the stomach, stops diarrhea, and helps with the loss of appetite. But ginseng is not good for those who have insomnia. Next is milk vetch root. I didn’t know what this was until I attended the cooking class. It is supposed to raise your energy. Then there is jujube which I also was not familiar with. Jujube is supposed to calm down the heat, help with dizziness, and make you sleep well. In traditional medicine, jujube is used to treat insomnia. Lastly, is garlic. Koreans eat a lot of garlic. It’s supposed to help with blood circulation and aid with digestion. All of these ingredients are what make Samgyetang a staple in Korean households.

2. Nutritious Rice with Root Vegetables (뿌리채소영양밥)

The nutritious rice was brown sticky rice with lotus roots, walnuts, raw peanuts, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, and jujube chips. I have never added so many ingredients to rice before and never knew you could add such ingredients. These root vegetables are supposed to help with inflammation and digestion. The traditional doctor explained the 5 elements of taste and the role they play in our body. Here is the short version: sour is good for the liver, bitter helps calm down the heat in our heart, sweet is good for energy, spicy helps with body heat and blood circulation, and salty is good for the kidneys. In my opinion, there were too many ingredients in the rice so I wouldn’t cook it again.

3. Mushroom Grilled Short Rib Patties (버섯떡갈비)

This was my favorite recipe because it was super easy and delicious. You combine both beef, pork, and minced mushrooms and add potato starch. Make the beef patties and start grilling. The seasoning contains sesame oil, cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and a pinch of pepper. Beef has a balanced property and is good for the function of the spleen and stomach and helps with blood circulation. Mushrooms have a neutral property and are good for relieving fatigue. The seasoning you add such as sesame oil or soybean paste is very good for digestion and is the most common ingredient in Korea.

4. Kimchi Stew (돼지고기김치찌개)

Sadly, I missed this cooking class. But if you don’t know already kimchi is so good for you. It is fermented cabbage that is great for gut health. As kimchi ferments, the lactic acid increases with bacteria that is great for the gut or the microbiome.

I really enjoyed taking these classes and learning how to cook vegetables that I have never seen before. Having a lecture before the cooking class was a great way to learn about Korean food and why certain ingredients are used in the most common Korean dishes.