Lessons with Gum Gang: Su Chon Gua

A large part of the lessons I’ve learned with Gum Gang don’t just come through the knowledge of the remedies themselves, but different approaches to cooking them that can save time, money and keep up health on a budget. One of the most important benefits of traditional knowledge is the fact that it is made to be an accessible and affordable alternative for the sake of minor health problems. For example as someone who has dealt with allergies since the age of six, drinking this recipe called Su Chon Gua can clear my sinuses and help me breathe easy without needing antihistamine. However I have met Gum Gang at times when my allergies were so bad he saw antihistamine as necessary. These remedies provide a different approach to varied levels in our health problems.

Su Chon Gua is not so much an exclusive Mudang remedy as a traditional Korean recipe. On the other hand Su Chon Gua can be hard to come by outside of the occasional traditional restaurant or tourist trap. Additionally, these brews of Su Chon Gua might not be as potent as the remedy version as an effective batch can taste quite strong. People like Gum Gang keep this remedy in connection with its older purpose as a “poison that removes other poisons.” This concept was frequent in East Asian traditional medicine and was thought important in various ingredients from ginseng to dog tongue. The idea is that by putting a small amount of certain elements into your body that it will process out, you will encourage other poisons which we ingest on a regular basis to leave the body as well.

Lessons with Gum Gang: Homemade Remedies

A large tub of Umeshu – preserved plum juice with healthy side effects

As much as a shaman performs or gives counsel to help others, their attachment to well-being and tradition touches many different parts of daily life. One of these is in diet and remedy, taking as much care with what we put into our bodies as what we do with them. Healthier people make happier people, and in turn a better community. As a result understanding traditional medical knowledge was and still is a large part of the role that Mudang play as social guides. Just as 1+1= a bigger 1, proper circulation and staying active throughout the day play a large role in how we live our lives, and in turn the quality of work we produce. These easy recipes  address different long term afflictions that may not be easily (or cheaply) answered through modern methods.

Whether or not one puts stock in these recipes, they also represent an important aspect of tradition and culture that figures like Mudang preserve. These different natural remedies were used to heal in ancient Korea, remnants of an older way of life that we can learn from and cherish. These remedies don’t just represent something we can use today, but also display a way of thinking that we often pass over in modern life.