Samgyetang is a flavorful soup from South Korea, consisting of a whole young chicken cooked with ginseng, garlic, and rice. In Korea, ginseng is revered for its medicinal properties, as it lowers blood sugar and boosts the body's immune system and stamina, making samgyetang an ideal soup for hot summer days, when people fall into nutrition deficiency due to excessive sweating and loss of appetite.

The flavors of the soup are somewhat milder than other Korean and Chinese herbal medicinal soups, and the key to its popularity during the summer may also be in its price, as it is generally pretty inexpensive. If consumed in a restaurant, there will often be a small bottle of insangju ginseng alcohol served on the side, believed to boost physical and sexual stamina.

Galbitang is a Korean soup made with beef short-ribs. This delicious soup is eaten as a stand-alone meal, and it is prepared by boiling short-ribs and a whole radish for about 4 to 5 hours. When cooked, the meat is flavored with scallions, garlic, ground pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.

It is then placed back into the broth along with the sliced radish. This soup is similar to seolleongtang, which is made with ox bones. Due to the fact that beef ribs are an expensive cut of meat, galbi-tang is considered to be a rather special dish, thus being served on special occasions, such as weddings and banquets.