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Kimchi wars, the sequel: Baidu said samgyetang originated in China and now Korean netizens are up in arms over the traditional ginseng chicken soup dish
STORYThe Korea Times
- Following furores over kimchi and bibimbap – thanks to YouTubers Hamzy and Li Ziqi, and Song Joong-ki’s K-drama Vincenzo – the latest debate is over samgyetang
- Chinese Google equivalent Baidu says the dish originates from Guangdong, but Koreans say they have been making ginseng chicken soups since the Joseon era
Following recent furores over tteokbokki and bibimbap, now some Chinese netizens are claiming that samgyetang, or traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup, originated in China, in turn upsetting many Koreans who are tired of the neighbouring country’s cultural provocations.
On Baidu, the Chinese equivalent of Google, on March 30, samgyetang was described as a chicken soup dish originating from China’s Guangdong province, which was later introduced to Korea. It adds that the dish later became one of the most iconic dishes beloved by Korea’s royal family members.
On Baidu, the Chinese equivalent of Google, on March 30, samgyetang was described as a chicken soup dish originating from China’s Guangdong province, which was later introduced to Korea. It adds that the dish later became one of the most iconic dishes beloved by Korea’s royal family members.
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But according to South Korea’s Rural Development Administration, Koreans have been making a soup with chicken since at least the Joseon era (1392-1897). Samgyetang was popular among wealthy Koreans during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) and they enjoyed the chicken soup with ginseng powder. It became more popular among ordinary people following the 1960s.
Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University, a self-proclaimed “publicist” for Korea, who has volunteered to correct inaccurate understandings of Korean history overseas, said he sent a complaint email to Baidu, urging the portal to revise the wrong information about the food.
He said: “Baidu has stirred up controversy by distorting history with samgyetang, as it did with kimchi recently … So I immediately sent an email to Baidu saying, ‘China doesn’t even use the Harmonized System (HS) – or international names and numbers designated for traded products – for samgyetang, while Korea classifies the food with the number, 1602.32.1010.” He added that he urged the website to revise the information to provide the proper information to Chinese netizens.