The Enduring Allure of a Bowl of Samgyetang: What Inflation Can't Cool A steaming bowl of ginseng chicken soup, or samgyetang, remains an irresistible draw for South Koreans in the sweltering summer heat.
Despite a nearly 30% price hike over the past five years – driven by inflation and increasing costs of chicken, rice, and ginseng – long queues continue to form outside popular eateries like Tosokchon Samgyetang in central Seoul.
This phenomenon speaks to more than just a love for comfort food or cultural tradition.