Korean herb packet
Dried roots, barks and fruits, usually in a cloth bag, simmered in chicken broth to give it an earthy, faintly bittersweet note.
The packet holds dried ingredients from Korean herbal cooking, typically ginseng root, astragalus root, jujubes, licorice root and pieces of tree bark such as kalopanax or eleuthero; the exact mix varies from packet to packet. It is used for slow-simmered chicken dishes such as samgyetang or baeksuk. In the broth it gives a woody, earthy aroma, a gentle sweetness from the jujube and licorice and a slight bitterness that makes the chicken taste deeper and rounder, while the broth turns faintly yellow to brownish. The pieces themselves are tough and woody and are not eaten, so the bag is removed before serving. You can find it in Korean or well-stocked Asian grocery stores, often labeled as samgyetang herbs, and by mail order.
Substitute:
There is no true substitute, because the character comes from the combination of roots and barks. A fresh or dried ginseng root with a few dried jujubes and some garlic cloves comes closest but tastes less woody and layered; leaving the packet out entirely still gives a good broth, but it will taste like a rich chicken soup rather than the Korean dish.