When you think of summer dinner meal ideas, you probably think of cool, light dishes. But in Korea, there’s a special Korean food culture. People here enjoy hot and steamy soups, even when it’s super hot outside. We call this “Iyeolchiyeol” (以熱治熱, 이열치열)! It means “fighting heat with heat.”
Of course, not every Korean eats only hot food in summer. Cold dishes like naengmyeon (cold noodles) and bingsu (shaved ice) are popular. But Korean’s also have a tradition of beating the heat with hot, rich foods. Think of samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), grilled eel, and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup). These are all unique hot weather dinner ideas.
In this article, we’ll look at the science behind Iyeolchiyeol and some traditional Korean dishes. We’ll also share new summer dinner meal ideas you can enjoy in the US with Samyang Buldak Hot Sauce. If you’re stuck on what to cook for hot weather dinner ideas or want some exciting summer dinner meal ideas, keep reading! These summer dinner meal ideas will bring a fun change to your table!
What is Korea’s ‘Iyeolchiyeol'(이열치열) Culture?
“Iyeolchiyeol(이열치열)” means “using heat to handle heat.” It’s about meeting a challenge with a similar approach. Long ago, Korean ancestors ate warm, nutrient-rich foods in summer. This helped them boost their yanggi (good energy) and warm their insides, which could get too cold. It was a smart way to deal with the heat! These meals are great summer dinner meal ideas that are deep-rooted in our Korean food culture.
🔍 Scientific Background
In traditional Korean medicine, summer is seen as a “hot and damp” time. If you sweat too much, your body’s yanggi can leave, making your body’s core feel cold. This can be worse for tired or weak people. Hot foods make you sweat, which helps your body’s flow and boosts your energy. This old wisdom guides many traditional summer dinner meal ideas in Korean food culture.
Popular Korean Summer Health Foods
🐔 Samgyetang(Ginseng Chicken Soup)
Ginseng Chicken Soup is a favorite summer dish for boosting health. It helps you recover from heat and strengthens your immune system. This hot soup is packed with healthy ingredients like ginseng, chestnuts, and jujubes. Eating it helps you sweat, which fits the Iyeolchiyeol idea perfectly! It’s a wonderful summer dinner meal idea that’s both tasty and good for you. For hot weather dinner ideas, Ginseng Chicken Soup is a top pick.
Why Samgyetang is good for you
- Chicken, the main ingredient, has lots of good protein. Its meat is soft and easy to digest, with a clean taste. Chicken wings have a lot of mucin, which helps you absorb protein better, and boosts physical function!
- Ginseng, a key component, helps your body’s enzymes work better. This speeds up your metabolism and is excellent for fighting tiredness.
- Chestnuts and jujubes protect your stomach and help prevent anemia!
🐟 Grilled Eel / Eel Soup
Eel is a great summer food for boosting energy when you’re tired from the heat. In Korea, we eat eel grilled or in a soup. Grilled eel is easier to find. Korean grilled eel is brushed with gochujang (Korean chili paste) sauce and cooked. This mixes the rich taste of eel with a sweet and spicy flavor.
Eel soup might be new to you. It’s made by simmering eel with its bones for a rich broth. Then, dried radish leaves, doenjang (fermented soybean paste), and perilla seed powder are added for a deep, savory taste. Because it’s so rich and full of flavor, eel is seen as a top Korean summer health food, offering both taste and goodness. It’s a unique hot weather dinner idea to try among different summer dinner meal ideas.
Why Grilled Eel/Eel Soup is good for you
- Eel has about 150 times more Vitamin A than regular fish. This helps fight damage to cells, may prevent cancer, aids growth, and keeps reproductive functions working well!
- It’s rich in Omega-3 fats (EPA, DHA). These help prevent adult diseases and lower bad cholesterol in your blood.
- It also has lots of iron, calcium, and B vitamins, making it easy to digest.
🥣 Spicy Korean beef soup(Yukgaejang)
Yukgaejang is a spicy Korean soup. It’s rich and full of nutrients, making it perfect for getting your energy back in summer. At first, Yukgaejang was a simple meal for many people with a small amount of meat. But now, it’s a healthy boost and a popular summer dish. It’s an excellent hot weather dinner idea for those who like a little spice, and a strong option for summer dinner meal ideas.
Why Yukgaejang is good for you
- Beef (brisket, shank, etc.), the main ingredient, has lots of protein, fats, and vitamins. This makes it great for building strength!
- It’s cooked with various vegetables like bean sprouts, bracken, and green onions. So, it has plenty of fiber and is a well-balanced meal.
Summer Health Recipes with Buldak Hot Sauce
By using Buldak Sauce, you can enjoy classic Korean health foods in new and fun ways, trying the Iyeolchiyeol culture yourself. When you add this spicy sauce to well-known health foods, you get fresh summer dinner meal ideas that mix old traditions with spicy flavors. These are fantastic summer dinner meal ideas with a kick.
The two spicy recipes that we’ll share truly show the charm of Iyeolchiyeol. They’re easy to cook and taste amazing. These are great hot weather dinner ideas for anyone who loves a spicy kick! If you’re looking for exciting summer dinner meal ideas, these are perfect.
🔥 Spicy Chicken Yukgaejang
This is a simple yet spicy chicken soup for summer, using chicken breast instead of beef. It’s a fresh take on a classic summer dinner meal idea.
This improved health recipe makes yukgaejang lighter with chicken breast and adds a spicy kick with Buldak Hot Sauce. It’s a top example of unique summer dinner meal ideas.
Ingredients
- Buldak Hot Sauce Original
- Chicken breast
- Green onions
- Mung bean sprouts(optional)
- Oyster mushrooms
- Bracken
- Onion
- Garlic chives(optional)
- Korean soup soy sauce (2T)
- Red pepper powder (2T)
- Minced garlic (1T)
- Salt
- Pepper
Cooking Method
1. Boil chicken breast and save the broth. Shred the chicken meat into strips.
💡 TIP: Cooking chicken bones with the chicken makes the broth richer! Strain the broth when done.
2. While the broth cooks, cut your vegetables.
3. stir-fry the sliced green onions and chicken with 2 tablespoons of red pepper powder, 2 tablespoons of Korean soup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and Buldak Hot Sauce! You can change the amounts of red pepper powder and soy sauce to your taste.
💡 TIP: Want a real Iyeolchiyeol challenge? Try “Buldak Hot Sauce 2X Spicy” (Extreme Buldak Hot Sauce)!
4. Once well cooked, add all the chicken broth you saved. If you need more liquid, you can add some water.
5. Add the oyster mushrooms, onions, and boiled bracken. Cook over high heat until it boils, then lower to medium heat.
💡 TIP: Mung bean sprouts and Garlic chives cook fast, so add them at the very end to keep them crunchy.
🐚 Spicy Butter Abalone
This is a spicy and sweet fancy dish made better with Carbonara Buldak Hot Sauce! It’s a refined summer dinner meal idea.
This is a fancy and tasty summer dinner meal idea. It features abalone cooked with butter and garlic, flavored with this versatile hot sauce, and topped with cheese. It’s a great addition to your list of summer dinner meal ideas.
Ingredients
- 6 abalones
- A handful of garlic
- 20g butter
- 100g pizza cheese
- 3T Buldak Hot Sauce Carbonara
Cooking Method
1. Clean and get the abalones ready.
💡 TIP: Use a brush or toothbrush to scrub them. Carefully remove the insides so they don’t break, and cut off the mouth part.
2. Melt butter in a pan. Cook garlic and abalone, then add the Carbonara-flavored sauce and cook well.
3. Put the cooked abalone back into their cleaned shells. Top with pizza cheese and cook on low heat until the cheese melts.
4. Once the cheese melts, arrange them nicely on a plate for a delicious spicy and sweet butter abalone dish!
💡 TIP: The creamy cheese mixed with the sauce’s unique kick is perfect for summer appetites! Another great summer dinner meal idea to impress your guests.
Lyeolchiyeol(이열치열) is the Wisdom of Health, Buldak is Fun Culture
We’ve shown you three types of Korean health foods and two recipes for new summer dinner meal ideas. Wasn’t that interesting?
“Lyeolchiyeol(이열치열)” is more than just hot food. It’s a science-backed Korean food culture for moving energy in your body and getting your strength back. Our spicy sauce adds a modern, fun kick to this, creating exciting new hot weather dinner ideas. This summer, enjoy Iyeolchiyeol with this fiery addition. Your usual meals will become more enjoyable and lively. We hope your table is healthier and spicier with these fantastic summer dinner meal ideas!
