The vernal Equinox is just on the horizon. The western calendar has it registered for arrival in Asia on the twenty-second day of March. But according to the traditional Chinese Lunar calendar, which is used similarly in Korea, Japan and Vietnam, spring has already arrived. That means, at least in Korea, that it is the time of year for nature and humankind alike to shed the grays of winter, the time for rejuvenating their earthly bodies with the newness of life.
In Korea, it's the custom of many people in the month of March to put away their winter clothes and to cleanse their bodies of the sluggishness of the January and February cold by eating natural medicinal foods. Three of those natural, healthy sustenances that have been part of the Korean medicinal culinary fare for generations are Black Bone Chicken, Tree-Water and Cress.
Black Bone Chicken, as its name implies, is a type of poultry whose bones are literally black in colour. The bird's skin and feathers, too, are black. "Oh.gol.gye," the chicken's name in Korean language (or Gallus-Gallus Domesticus - its Latin classification), is a native of the Korean region of Asia, and has been bred and eaten for medicinal purposes for over two-thousand years. It is noted in ancient Chinese medicine books as "having virtues of health fit for royalty," and so, it was served to Kings in the form of soup in late winters-early springs as a "Noble Drug." The medicinal 'virtues' of the bird's meat is said to produce bodily strength, help prevent strokes by thinning the blood, aid in the cure of pleaurisy and neurosis, and add protein to nursing mothers' milk.
Black Bone Chickens are raised in the central and southern regions of Korea but not in any large quantity. They are raised primarily for the quality and nutritional value of their meat, thus they are more expensive compared to their lesser relatives - the common chicken.
The taste of Black Bone Chicken, at least to this traveller, is similar to that of the everyday 'backyard' bird, but somewhat stronger in flavor. Perhaps because it is often prepared with ginseng and other distinctly tasting medicinal roots and herbs. As for the recipe for the soup, there are as many as there are cooks preparing the dish, and I am sure that any one of the recipes is as tasty and nutritious as any other recipe.
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Tree-Water, or "Goh.lo.swae.mool" in Korean, is the sap of the Mono Aceracae, known in everyday English as the Painted Maple. From late February to late March in the mountains of korea, the cold nights and warm days produce a flowing sap that is high in sugar, iron, maganesium, maganese and vitamins A,B, & C. The liquid that is tapped from the trees is slightly translucent in clarity and somewhat sweet and acidic in taste. The legacy and legends of Tree-Water in Korea go back over one-thousand years, with its medicinal values claimed to be good for healing wounds, purging the stomach and intestines of unwanted bacteria, and for fighting diabetes, neuralgia and arthritis. The down side of this 'healthy' drink, however, is that it must be consumed in very large quantities and at one time in order to 'work its magic.'
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Cress, or 'Mi.nar.li," the Korean word, is not a true watercress as is known in the west. 'Korean Cress' is more related to the parsley family of plants, in which it gets its other nomenclature - 'Japanese Parsley.' Some translations of the word 'Minarli' refer to the plant as "Dropwort," although it is not truely a dropwort plant either. But regardless of name, Korean Cress grows with the same prolificacy and manner as its western cousin, and in the spring of the year around Korea it can be found in abundance, as throughout the winter months it is grown in specially built flooded greenhouses and sheltered ponds.
Minarli is said to be good for stabilizing blood pressure and for "cooling-down" the liver (regulating liver functions). The savory edible leaves and stems of the plant are used in flavoring soups and stews, and in salads with other nourishing greens. It is also simply eaten as is, wrapped around a small piece of grilled meat. Minarli is readily found in supermarkets during the spring and summer months, and in abundance during that same time at roadside stands along the countryside and at traditional street markets.
So, if you happen to be in Korea this spring -or any other spring for that matter - rejuvenate your wintered body with a healthy dose of Gohloswaemool, and after your system has been 'purged,' sit down to a steaming bowl of Black Bone Chicken Soup with a Minarli salad on the side. Your body just might thank you.
