Chicken Soup in America, Abalone Porridge in Korea

Why Koreans Eat Abalone Porridge When They’re Sick

Kimchi Stew Instead of Abalone Porridge

On the first day after my wife received her nerve block injection, I told her, “I’ll buy you some abalone porridge.”

But she replied, “No, I don’t really want that. I’ll just eat what I normally eat.”

Whenever she had a cold or the flu before, she loved eating abalone porridge. That is why shingles felt like such a strange illness to me.

After receiving the nerve block injection, my wife seemed to recover nearly 80% of her normal condition. Honestly, she looked almost no different from before she became sick.

If it had been the flu, she probably would have needed several days to recover.

Instead of buying abalone porridge, I cooked kimchi stew for her. Surprisingly, she ate the same amount as usual and seemed to enjoy it very much.

I even wondered to myself, “Is this really the same person who was screaming in pain just a few days ago?”

Why Do Koreans Prefer Abalone Porridge for Recovery?

Abalone is often called the "Superfood from the ocean" in Korea. Abalone is often called the "Superfood from the ocean" in Korea. Why do Koreans prefer this special porridge as a recovery food, much like Americans reach for chicken soup when they are sick?

Koreans also eat chicken porridge, but many people think of it more as food for children.

For adults, there is still a strong belief that abalone porridge is one of the best foods for recovery.

Korea’s Recovery Food Culture Is More Than Just Food

In Korea, when someone becomes sick, one of the first questions people ask is:

“Did you eat some porridge?”

In America, chicken soup is famous as a comfort food during illness. In Korea, however, eating warm porridge during recovery has been part of the culture for generations.

Among many kinds of porridge, abalone porridge is considered one of the most luxurious and nourishing recovery foods.

To Koreans, abalone is not just seafood. Traditionally, it has been viewed as a special food served to honored guests, elderly people, surgical patients, and those recovering from illness.

That is why bringing abalone porridge during hospital visits became common in Korea.

Interestingly, most Koreans do not cook the porridge themselves. Instead, they usually order it from specialized porridge boutiques that specialize only in high-quality porridge dishes.

Is There Scientific Reasoning Behind This?

What is interesting is that this belief is not entirely based on folklore.

Abalone is generally known as a high-protein, low-fat food rich in minerals and taurine. In addition, porridge itself is soft and easy to digest, making it suitable for elderly people and recovering patients.

 Recently, even in America and Europe, interest in “congee” culture has slowly increased. While similar to Chinese congee, Korean Juk focuses more on high-protein medicinal ingredients like abalone, making it a unique powerhouse of nutrition.

Some studies suggest that warm rice porridge may help provide hydration and reduce digestive stress during illness.

Of course, abalone porridge is not a medical treatment.

However, Koreans have long believed that sick people recover faster when they eat nutritious and easily digestible foods.

Korean Hospital Visit Culture Is Connected to Food

In Korea, when a family member becomes sick, people rarely just say, “Get some rest,” and leave it at that.

Someone prepares porridge. Someone brings fruit. Someone orders warm soup.

Many older Koreans still think of foods like abalone porridge, samgyetang, beef bone soup, and seaweed soup as traditional recovery foods.

Most of these foods today are not homemade but delivered directly to homes through Korea’s highly developed food delivery system.

Because Korea is densely urbanized and extremely advanced in mobile technology, people can simply order food through smartphone apps and receive it within a very short time.

This recovery food culture is not only about nutrition. It is also connected to the emotional idea of caring for someone whose body has become weak.

Chicken Soup in America, Abalone Porridge in Korea

For Americans, chicken soup may be considered a comfort food.

For Koreans, abalone porridge feels more like a recovery food.

Still, they share many similarities.

Both are warm, soft, easy to digest, and emotionally comforting for sick people.

In the end, no matter what country people live in, families often do similar things when someone they love becomes ill.

Some people cook chicken soup.

Others bring abalone porridge.

Perhaps what matters most is not the food itself, but the hope that the person recovers quickly.