Rediscovery of Cool Nourishing FoodWhen it comes to the taste of Korean summer nourishing food, the first thing that comes to mind is “yiyeol-chiyeol: fighting heat with heat”. We eat hot food to replenish the energy we have lost from sweating. This may be the reason why hot recipes, such as guk(soup), tang(stew), baeksuk(poultry soup), jijimi(pancake), and jjim(braised dish), were developed.
When it comes to the taste of Korean summer nourishing food, we cannot leave out the cool taste. It is controlling one’s health by lowering the heat with cold food. This may be the reason why cool recipes, such as naengguk(changuk: cold soup), naengmyeon(cold buckwheat noodle), naengchae(chilled salad), and hwachae(punch), were developed in order to lower the temperature of the summer table.
There has been a constant debate over whether a “hot nourishing dish” or a “cold nourishing dish” is good for summer health. In fact, hot nourishing food is becoming increasingly popular. There is also a saying, “The one who seeks cold food is inferior, and the one who eats hot food is superior.”
However, in a time when the nutritional supply is sufficient and we have to worry about the excess, the light and simple taste of cool refreshing dishes is raising its value as a summer nourishing food and a diet food.

Ice and Summer Nourishing FoodIn the old days, when making and storing ice was not easy, the taste of cold summer nourishing food made with ice was a privilege enjoyed by the upper class, such as kings and nobles. 
During Sambok(the hottest period of the year), the kings of Joseon Dynasty gave ice, which they had stored in Seobinggo, to the officials in order “to overcome the heat”. The officials who received ice from the king cooled off the heat by making hwachae and naengmyeon with this ice. 
This is probably the reason why there are many cold nourishing dishes with the modifier “used to be eaten in the palace or by noble families in the old days”.
Since it is made with precious ice, there are many cool nourishing dishes made with precious ingredients, such as chicken.
Among the cool nourishing foods, there are many dishes with the modifier “yinaeng-chinaeng: fight cold with cold” as the food enjoyed during winter. 
In the cold winter weather, people enjoyed cold dishes as a way to lower the heat of the organs. However, in the old days, it would have been easier to get ice during winter.

Cool Recipes and Cold TasteOf course, cool nourishing food is not always made with “ice”. Eating a dish after it has “cooled down” is also a way to enjoy cool nourishing food. Eochae is a cold dish that is eaten after blanching white fish and vegetables in boiling water, and putting them in cold water. Imjasutang, a cold soup of the royal court, is a dish made by grinding sesame seeds in chilled chicken stock and adding chicken as a garnish. Since it is a cold soup of the royal court, ice cubes are sometimes added.
Having the cool taste of summer seasonal ingredients as they are without the recipe that boils, steams, and grills ingredients or with a minimum amount of cooking is also another way of enjoying the “cold flavor” of summer nourishing food. It also has the advantage of reducing the effort of preparing food on a hot day because it can be prepared quickly without fire.
Many foods use cold ingredients, such as buckwheat, red beans, and soybeans, and these cold ingredients reduce heat. The wisdom of promoting health by using food ingredients that neutralize cold properties, such as chicken and sesame seeds, is also included in the summer nourishing food.

Cool Nourishing Food and Health“With the yearning for a shower, people frequent the ice house during summer.” 
It is an excerpt from “Bingsu”, an essay written by Sopa Bang Jeonghwan. It would be the same as wanting cool nourishing food. As a result, the “refreshing and cool flavors” of summer nourishing food have a healthy taste that protects the consumer’s body by cooling their body temperature that has risen in the midsummer heat. The taste of cooling shower that washes away the midsummer heat is the health benefit that comes from eating cool nourishing food.  

In a time when the nutritional 
supply is sufficient and we have to worry
about the excess, the light and simple taste of
cool refreshing dishes is raising its value as
a summer nourishing food and a diet food.