Herbal Doctors Question Dog Day Food Traditions

Thursday was Jungbok, the second of the three dog days in traditional Korean calendar or the three hottest days of the year.

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The first day is called Chobok and the third Malbok, and they are each 10 days apart and collectively called Sambok.

An association of group of herbal doctors on Thursday caused a minor stir by questioning the validity of the tradition of eating samgyetang, or chicken soup with ginseng, or watermelon to fight off the sweltering heat. The association said a Sambok diet should suit contemporary lifestyles.

"Nowadays, many people get sick because they eat too well or because they're overexposed to air conditioning. We do not need to follow traditional Sambok meals to protect ourselves from hot summer weather", a spokesman claimed. "We live with abundance unimaginable in the days of our ancestors, so we need to change our approach by supplementing what we lack rather than overfeeding ourselves".

The association said people who often eat meat do not necessarily need to eat more meat on Sambok just for the sake of it. In fact, they should take the opportunity to eat more vegetables to supplement what is missing in their diet.

For those who work indoors all day exposed to air conditioning, a warm cup of tea is better than slices of cold watermelon to stay healthy, it added.