Korean
Samgyetang — Ginseng Whole Chicken Soup (삼계탕)
Samgyetang (삼계탕) is the Korean restorative soup of high summer: a small whole young chicken (영계, young gyeryuk) stuffed with soaked glutinous rice, garlic, jujube dates, and a segment of fresh ginseng root (Panax ginseng), then simmered in a clear broth for 1–2 hours until the rice swells inside the cavity and the chicken is tender enough to separate with chopsticks. The genius of samgyetang is the stuffing technique: the sealed rice inside the chicken cooks in the cavity's steam and absorbed broth, becoming a savoury stuffing that thickens the serving broth and provides a secondary carbohydrate component within the same vessel.
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Seven in town · three not yet within reach.
How the 10 are reached
- In town
- 7 · young spring chickens (영계, yeonggyye), glutinous rice (찹쌀), garlic, fresh ginger, garlic, fine salt, ground white pepper
- Not yet within reach
- 3 · jujube dates (대추), fresh ginseng root (Panax ginseng), oi-sobagi (cucumber kimchi)
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
2
young spring chickens (영계, yeonggyye)
under 600 g each, whole and cleaned
For the stuffing
100 g
glutinous rice (찹쌀)
soaked in cold water for minimum 2 hours, then drained
Origin · JapanIn town · T Amano Trading · Vancouver → · also Fujiya · Vancouver, Wismettac · Vancouver · 4 more
4 cloves
4
jujube dates (대추)
whole, pitted
Not yet within reach of Burnaby · each reach is counted
For the broth
2 segments
fresh ginseng root (Panax ginseng)
one per bird, rinsed
Not yet within reach of Burnaby · each reach is counted
10 g
4 cloves
2 litres
cold water
Your own market
To finish
1 tsp
1 tsp
To serve
200 g
oi-sobagi (cucumber kimchi)
served cold alongside
Not yet within reach of Burnaby · each reach is counted
Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.
The larder of Burnaby →Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Soak the glutinous rice in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours, so the grains absorb moisture gradually and will swell at a controlled rate inside the cavity rather than seizing up dry and bursting the skin during cooking. Drain completely before use. The rice is ready when the grains are opaque white throughout and yield slightly under pressure.
2
Rinse each bird under cold water and pat dry. Pack the cavity of each chicken with half the soaked rice, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 jujube dates, filling to 70 per cent of cavity volume only, so the rice has room to double during cooking without splitting the skin and losing the stuffing into the broth. The cavity should feel firmly but not tightly packed when pressed from the outside.
3
This is where the dish lives or dies: truss the cavity opening firmly shut with a toothpick or small skewer, threading the skin closed so no gap remains, because the sealed cavity is the engine of the dish — internal steam and absorbed broth cook the rice into a savoury stuffing that simultaneously thickens the serving broth from within, and an open bird produces rice porridge in the broth rather than an intact internal stuffing. Confirm the seal by pressing gently around the skewer; the skin should hold without parting.
4
Place both birds breast-side up in a heavy pot deep enough to submerge them. Add the ginseng root segments, ginger slices, and remaining garlic cloves to the pot rather than to the cavity, so the ginseng releases its bright, slightly bitter-sweet character slowly into the broth instead of overcooking inside the bird and turning harsh. Pour over the cold water; the birds should be just covered.
5
Bring to a full boil over high heat, skimming any grey foam that rises to the surface so the finished broth is clean and pale rather than muddy. Once the broth runs clear, reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 1 to 2 hours. The broth is ready when it has turned a pale, milky gold and the kitchen carries the warm, faintly medicinal scent of ginseng over the sweet smell of cooked chicken.
6
Test doneness by attempting to separate the drumstick from the thigh with chopsticks alone, applying no knife; the joint should yield and the meat pull cleanly away. The skin will be very tender, and the broth at this point will be lightly thickened from the glutinous rice that has cooked inside the cavity and released a small amount of starch into the surrounding liquid.
7
Transfer one bird to each deep bowl with a generous ladleful of broth, ginseng, and braised garlic. Serve salt and white pepper on the side for each diner to season individually at table. Accompany with cold oi-sobagi; the cool, crisp, acidic cucumber kimchi provides the counterpoint that balances the hot, fortifying soup.
From the canon — Kimchi (baechu kimchi — napa cabbage kimchi) is Korea's foundational fermented condiment — salted napa cabbage packed with a paste of gochugaru (Korean red p… Kimchi →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — A live-market young spring chicken under 500 g, freshly slaughtered; wild or mountain-grown Panax ginseng root (산삼); hand-packed oi-sobagi from a specialist producer.
02
Estate — A premium free-range poussin under 600 g from a named Korean or French supplier; fresh cultivated ginseng root sourced from a Korean grocer; home-made oi-sobagi fermented for 24 hours.
03
Market — A good-quality poussin from a butcher, 550–600 g; fresh ginseng root from a well-stocked Asian supermarket; commercial oi-sobagi of good acidity.
04
House — A supermarket poussin as close to 600 g as possible; dried ginseng root rehydrated in cold water (flavour will be flatter and less bright); any well-sourced cucumber kimchi served cold.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The broth has turned a pale, milky gold and is translucent rather than cloudy with foam.
◇Smell. The kitchen carries the warm, faintly medicinal scent of ginseng over the sweet, round smell of cooked chicken.
◇Touch. The drumstick separates from the thigh under chopstick pressure alone, without the aid of a knife.
◇Touch. The stuffed cavity feels firm but not rigid before cooking; the trussing skewer holds the skin without parting under gentle pressure.
◇Where it lives or dies. The cavity must be trussed completely shut before cooking: an open bird releases the stuffing into the broth and the defining internal steam-cooking technique fails entirely.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Riesling
Ancient Lakes Vineyard — Cave B · Ancient Lakes
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Liberty Wine Merchants · Vancouver →See all 2 →Wine
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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The working kitchen
Sourced through Provenance