Feeling hot? Have some dog stew

This is a file photograph of a South Korean woman chopping dog meat at a restaurant in Songnam, about 50km (30 miles) south of Seoul July 29, 2004.

SEOUL (Reuters) - In South Korea's capital, sweating through the highest temperatures of the year, the hottest topic is whether to eat dogmeat stew or ginseng chicken soup.


With the mercury hitting 34 Celsius (93.20 Fahrenheit) in Seoul on Tuesday and set to rise, thousands are heading to restaurants for a traditional if possibly controversial meal to replenish nutrients lost through sweating.


"It is the last phase of the Dog Days. We have four times more customers today, compared to regular days," chicken-soup restaurant manager Jeong Sung-hoon told Reuters.


Jeong, whose packed restaurant is near the presidential Blue House, was referring to the period South Koreans designate as the hottest days of the summer. Traditionally, Koreans eat either dog stew or ginseng chicken soup during this time.


On the other side of Seoul, 48-year-old An Hong-sik went for a more controversial boiling pot of dog stew, known as "poshintang". It is made from dogmeat, vegetables and spices.


"Dog stew is not fatty and soft. I feel more energetic after eating dog stew than eating beef or chicken," An said.


Animal rights activists oppose eating dogmeat because some people use illegal methods to kill the dogs for tender meat -- beating, burning or hanging. The government says those practices are illegal and most dogs are killed humanely.


The chicken soup, "samgyetang" in Korean, is made of boiled chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic and jujubes.


"It is delicious, but more importantly it is good for your health when your body becomes weak after sweating a lot -- it's our tradition," said Lee Tae-jong, 61, after ordering soup at Jeong's restaurant.


Nowadays, more Koreans tend to opt for the chicken soup.


For those who have trouble deciding or want some light relief on a hot day, a musical dog-and-chicken e-card is doing the rounds on the Internet among millions of South Koreans who enjoy world-beating high-speed access to the Web.


Latest figures show that almost 70 percent of South Koreans, or more than 30 million people, are Internet users.


The card, which has been delivered to six million people so far, shows a singing cartoon chick and dog bickering that the other was a tastier choice for the Dog Days.


"Both chick and dog are cute," said web designer Park Sun-mi. "They appear and dance and they both don't want to die, so the dog and chick
say that each other tastes better."