Midsummer comfort food, July through August
Boknal Samgyetang and Baeksuk Guide
Compare home recipes for samgyetang and baeksuk with specialist restaurants for Korea's three midsummer Boknal days.
Cooking and building the meal
Choose by bird size and broth
Use a small whole chicken for each diner when making samgyetang. Choose dak-baeksuk when several people will share meat and broth. Duck baeksuk takes longer and tastes richer, while dak-hanmari can continue with potatoes, rice cakes, and noodles.
Work backward from mealtime
Soak glutinous rice first and clean the chicken cavity carefully. Cooking time changes with the pot and the number of birds, so begin with a generous buffer. Season the broth at the end and serve salt separately.
Choose between home and a restaurant
- A specialist restaurant is easier if your pot cannot hold several birds.
- Check the signature menu when you want perilla seed, black ginseng, abalone, or mushroom broth.
- At home, make extra baeksuk broth and turn it into rice porridge for another meal.
Eating out and choosing a restaurant
Specialists with verified samgyetang menus
These restaurants have documented signature dishes ranging from classic samgyetang to perilla seed, abalone, black ginseng, and mushroom versions. Boknal can bring long waits and sellouts, so check hours and reservation policies.
Restaurants to compare
Recipes to continue with
Frequently asked questions
How are samgyetang and dak-baeksuk different?
Samgyetang usually serves one small chicken stuffed with rice and aromatics per diner. Baeksuk more often uses a larger bird for several people to share.
Must the glutinous rice go inside the chicken?
No. You can cook it in a separate pouch or make porridge with the remaining broth, which also gives you more control over cloudiness.