3800 Won Convenience Store Solo Meal vs 180,000 Won 'Buguidak'... Polarization of Health Foods on Chobok

Convenience Store Health Food Lunchbox Around 3,000 Won
Luxury Hotel Summer Limited Health Food 180,000 Won
Average Price of a Bowl of Samgyetang in Seoul is 14,462 Won

The Chinese restaurant 'Palais de Shin' at Lescape Hotel is offering 'Bugwi Dak,' a summer specialty health dish made with carefully prepared chicken, until October 4th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] On the 16th, marking the start of Chobok (the first of the three hottest days in summer), a variety of health-boosting foods are being showcased. From lunchboxes priced around 3,000 won for single-person households to ultra-luxurious health foods costing hundreds of thousands of won per meal, a wide range of health foods reflecting diverse demands amid the COVID-19 pandemic are pouring out.

◆ Health noodles around 3,000 won = The distribution industry, including convenience stores and large supermarkets, has prepared health foods reflecting various demands. These range from lunchboxes for single-person households who want to celebrate Chobok simply or have a light budget, to home meal replacements (HMR) reflecting the COVID-19 situation.

First, at convenience stores just a minute away from home, you can find health food lunchboxes priced between 3,800 and 5,900 won that are light yet filling enough to celebrate Boknal (the hottest days). GS25 launched the 'Dundunhan' series, which includes popular health food ingredients such as duck and chicken in forms like lunchboxes, braised chicken, prepared noodles, and salads. The 'Ori-deoke Dundunhan Dosirak' (Duck-powered hearty lunchbox) is sold in limited quantities until Malbok (the last of the three hottest days) and is priced at 5,000 won.

Also, convenience store chains have introduced various health food lunchboxes with different flavors and price ranges, such as CU's 'Chogye Guksu (3,800 won)', Seven Eleven's 'Ori Jeongsik Dosirak (5,900 won)', and Emart24's 'Smoked Duck & Jjukkumi Stir-fried Lunchbox (5,300 won)'. For those who want to enjoy the feeling of Boknal but find complicated cooking processes cumbersome, there are also health food HMR options.

Lotte Mart sells a premium Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) called 'Yorihada Ganghwa Seomgyetang' for 7,480 won. Emart offers 'Olban Samgyetang' at a 40% discount from the usual price, selling it for 5,980 won. Market Kurly delivers Baeksuk (boiled chicken) HMR to your home for 8,500 won. All these products can be conveniently enjoyed by heating for about 10 minutes without any special cooking process.

Product image of the hearty health food series for busy single-person households launched by GS25.

◆ 180,000 won 'Bugwi-dak', a special meal = There are also ultra-luxurious health foods offered as summer limited editions by major hotels in Korea. At Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Japanese restaurant 'Momoyama', a special summer health course is prepared. Starting with appetizers like cold potato soup, each menu item, including energy-replenishing conger eel and seasonal sashimi, is served with health and sincerity. The price is 190,000 won.

At The Escape Hotel’s Chinese restaurant 'Palais de Shin', the summer representative health food chicken is carefully prepared as 'Bugwi-dak' and is available until October 4. Bugwi-dak is designed for three people and costs 180,000 won. It is sold in limited quantities per day, and a reservation at least three days in advance is required.

At regular restaurants, you can celebrate Boknal at around 15,000 won. According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s price information service, as of May this year, the average price of Samgyetang (one serving, standard) in Seoul was 14,462 won.

Meanwhile, health foods exclusively for pets are also popular among 'petfam' (pet families) who consider their pets as family members. SSG.com is selling 'The Dog Handmade Samgyetang' (3,500 won), 'The Dog Healthy Duck Baeksuk' (2,800 won), and 'Dollo Kitchen Eel Porridge' (3,900 won), and plans to introduce 'Jogong Herbal Health Samgyetang Jeon' with a health food concept created by a Korean medicine doctor by the end of this month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.