Today, ginseng is widely used as a base for herbal drinks, and as a hot drink. Other hot drinks are prepared with roasted barley, cinnamon or lemons. A variety of punches made from peaches, strawberries, cherries, lemons, pomegranate seeds and persimmons can be found in Korean cookbooks. A popular beverage is sweetened and fermented rice water. Korean alcoholic beverages include a weak medicinal wine brewed from rice, and a stronger distilled beverage made from grain.
Most meals begin with soup based on a mineral-rich broth made from beef bones.
Korean beef broth, made by simmering bones for at least twelve hours, is a rich source of minerals, particularly calcium and phosphorus, in easily assimilated form. Korean stores carry concentrated soup bone powder and fish powders to facilitate the process of making soup and provide additional calcium. Vegetables including radishes, cabbage and mushrooms, as well as meat, tofu, seafoods, rice and spice may be added. One of the most prominent of Korea's distinguishing dishes is sul long tang, a broth made of beef bones to which slices of beef brisket, rice and noodles are added. Sol lung tang is the specialty of a restaurant called Gam Mee Ok, at 43 West 32nd Street in Manhattan.