Why do Koreans prefer hot food, even in summer?

Opening Scene – The Moment of Confusion

You step into a small restaurant in Seoul in the middle of July. Outside, the air is thick and humid, and the temperature is well above 30°C. Even standing still makes you sweat.

Naturally, you expect something cold—maybe chilled noodles or an iced drink.

But inside the restaurant, almost every table looks the same. People are eating steaming bowls of soup. Red stew is boiling on small metal burners. A man wipes sweat from his forehead while lifting a spoonful of hot broth.

You pause for a moment and wonder:
Why are people eating boiling hot food in this weather?

Korean man sweating while eating hot soup in summer at a restaurant
A Korean man wipes sweat from his face while eating a steaming bowl of hot soup in a restaurant. The scene reflects a common Korean habit of enjoying hot dishes even during the hottest days of summer.

First Interpretation – A Foreigner’s Logic

From a foreigner’s point of view, the logic seems straightforward. When the weather is hot, people should eat food that cools the body.

In many cultures, summer meals are designed to be refreshing—salads, cold soups, chilled noodles, or light dishes that feel easy on the stomach.

So when someone sees Koreans deliberately ordering steaming soup or spicy stew in the middle of summer, the first reaction is simple confusion. It almost looks uncomfortable.

From that perspective, it can feel as if Koreans are making the summer heat harder on themselves than necessary.

Korean Logic – What’s Really Happening

For us, however, the idea works a little differently.

In Korea, many people believe that the body should stay warm and energized even when the weather outside is extremely hot. When the temperature rises, our bodies lose energy quickly and feel drained. Cold food may feel refreshing for a moment, but it can sometimes leave the body feeling weaker afterward.

That is why many Koreans prefer hot, nourishing food during the summer.

There is even a common expression that reflects this way of thinking: “fight heat with heat.” The idea is that eating hot food helps the body regulate itself naturally. Sweating after a hot meal is not seen as discomfort but as a natural way for the body to cool down.

This is also why certain dishes are traditionally eaten during the hottest days of the year. One well-known example is samgyetang, a hot ginseng chicken soup. During the hottest days of summer, many restaurants serving this dish are crowded with people waiting for a steaming bowl.

To outsiders, this may seem paradoxical. But to us, the logic is simple. When the body loses strength because of extreme heat, warm and nourishing food helps restore balance and energy.

The Hidden Cost – Even Koreans Struggle with This

That said, most Koreans who eat hot food in summer are not doing it with inner conflict. For many of us, it is genuinely enjoyable. When eating a steaming dish like samgyetang on a hot day, many Koreans even say, “Ah, this is refreshing.” A hot meal that makes you sweat can feel surprisingly satisfying, and the sweat itself is often seen as part of the cooling process.

However, not everyone feels the same way.

Some people—especially among younger generations—simply prefer lighter or colder food during the summer. Instead of hot stews, they may choose cold noodles, iced drinks, or cafΓ© desserts.

So while the tradition of eating hot food in summer is still widely accepted, it is no longer universal. Korean eating habits are gradually becoming more diverse, reflecting different preferences rather than a single cultural rule.

When Cultures Collide

For foreigners, watching people eat boiling hot soup during the hottest days of summer can feel puzzling.

For Koreans, however, the goal is not simply to escape the heat but to restore the body’s strength under it.

Neither approach is right or wrong. One culture focuses on immediate cooling, while the other focuses on maintaining internal balance.

Understanding this difference helps explain why something that looks uncomfortable from the outside can feel perfectly natural from within.

If you’d like to explore more about Korean culture, see the articles below:

Why do Koreans take off their shoes at home?
https://whykoreans.com/2026/01/why-do-koreans-take-off-their-shoes-at-home.html

Why does academic background still matter in Korea?
https://whykoreans.com/2026/03/why-does-academic-background-still-matter-in-korea.html

Why is education so important in Korea?
https://whykoreans.com/2026/02/why-is-education-so-important-in-korea.html

One-Line Insight – What This Says About Korea

In Korea, comfort is not always about avoiding heat—it is often about restoring balance within it.

Written by Kyungsik Song on March 6, 2026

Image Source: Canva AI

Korean culture, Korean food culture, hot food in summer, samgyetang tradition, Korean lifestyle, cultural differences, understanding Korea, Korean daily life, Korean eating habits, Why Koreans

 

 

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