Korean Food as Medicine

Korean cooking employs a variety of spices (called, Yang-nyeom) and garnishes (Go-myeong). The principal of 'Euisik-dongwon'-'food in the mouth becomes medicine in body'-was practiced by combining ingredients and adding spices.

Korean Food as Medicine danmee.chosun.com 

Chili, garlic, green onion and ginger were used often not simply because of the flavor, but also because of the health benefits. Spices (Yang-nyeom) is 藥念 (Yào niàn) in Chinese characters: the first character means 'medicine' and the second one mean 'in mind'. The word indicates that when using various spices one must 'keep in mind that spices can be medicine to the body'.