"Chobok Day" Raises Price of Samgyetang... Surge in Demand for 'Health-Boosting Ready Meals'

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] As raw material costs surge, the price of Samgyetang, a representative health food for the summer season, is rising, making dining out burdensome for consumers. As a result, they are turning their attention to relatively affordable home meal replacement (HMR) Samgyetang.

The price of Samgyetang at restaurants continues to rise. According to the Korea Consumer Agency's integrated price information portal, Chamgagyeok, the average price of Samgyetang in Seoul remained steady at 14,500 KRW from February to April but started to rise slightly to 14,577 KRW in May. On average, the price of Samgyetang sold at restaurants ranges from 15,000 KRW to 18,000 KRW.

At A Restaurant, a famous Samgyetang place in Seoul, the basic Samgyetang was 16,500 KRW until early this year but recently increased by 2,000 KRW to 18,500 KRW. B Samgyetang, which has been in business for decades, also raised its price to 17,000 KRW and recently added another 1,000 KRW increase. Their Samgyetang with wild ginseng and abalone has already surpassed the 30,000 KRW mark.

Given this situation, demand for making health food at home is also increasing. Both the food industry and the dining industry are continuously launching pouch-type HMR Samgyetang products.

CJ CheilJedang recently released a new product called ‘Bibigo Nurungji Chicken Leg Samgyetang.’ It contains richly boiled chicken broth with whole chicken legs and tender shredded chicken breast meat, along with crispy nurungji (scorched rice) and oats. The menu is centered on chicken legs, which are the preferred part by consumers.

Sajo Daerim also introduced a premium Samgyetang called ‘Daerimseon 24/7 (Isachil) Tender Red Samgyetang.’ It includes a whole domestic chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, jujube, fresh ginseng, and other ingredients, making it a premium health food. This spicy Samgyetang adds a special flavor with a spicy and refreshing red taste to the rich flavor and deep taste of Samgyetang. It can be stored at room temperature, making it convenient for outdoor activities such as camping.

The dining brand Songchu Gamagol launched ‘Gamagol Baeksuk Samgyetang’ and ‘Gamagol Baeksuk Omnamu Samgyetang,’ which can be easily enjoyed at home. Gamagol Baeksuk Samgyetang features chewy texture using domestic chicken. It is boiled for a long time with domestic jujube, chestnuts, glutinous rice, fresh ginseng, and other ingredients to provide a rich and healthy taste. It can be enjoyed by warming it in a bowl after heating it in boiling water or by microwaving it in the container for 8 minutes, making it convenient to eat.

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