Sambok 삼복  refers to the days that are considered to be the three hottest days of summer! Sam 삼 mean three and bok 복 referring to a Chinese character of a dog lying down due to the hot weather. The three days are Chobok 초복 , Jungbok 중복, and Malbok 말복.

On these days, tradition says to eat ginseng chicken soup (삼계탕 samgyetang). It’s a soup with a small chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujube.  Not only is this soup considered to be a healing food but there is also the belief that eating hot foods on hot days helps regulate your body temperature and give you energy.