Buzz
Walking hand in hand with renowned fast-food giants like KFC and McDonald’s, Korean fried chicken has sparked a frenzy in the culinary world, even outshining its long-established competitors.
The Legacy of Korean Fried Chicken
While Korean fried chicken may not boast a long history, it has certainly carved out its own niche in the realm of fast food. Unlike its Western counterpart, Korean fried chicken stands apart, commanding higher prices and garnering a devoted following. A plethora of Korean-style chicken joints have emerged, offering dishes priced significantly higher yet attracting eager patrons without hesitation.
Korean innovators have breathed new life into the classic fried chicken dish, turning it into a distinct culinary realm.
In 1977, South Korea's first fried chicken brand, Lim's Chicken, made its official debut. By the 1990s, Korean fried chicken variations had emerged strongly, truly becoming a popular dish with the advent of restaurants like KyoChon and Nene Chicken. Korean fried chicken is now not only served to domestic customers but also earns significant profits from international exports with chains like Bonchon and Kyochon.
The Popularity of Korean Fried Chicken
Koreans have a penchant for fried chicken, and this dish has even become a culinary art form. According to statistical reports, there are over 36,000 chicken joints nationwide across hundreds of brands, outnumbering even the number of McDonald's outlets in South Korea. On average, there's one Korean fried chicken joint per kilometer.
Koreans have elevated the act of eating fried chicken into a cultural phenomenon known as chimaek (chi for chicken and maek for beer), which is embraced by everyone from students to office workers. On evenings after school or work, when hunger and thirst strike simultaneously, these are the places Koreans often flock to indulge in variously seasoned crispy chicken accompanied by a cold refreshing beer. Additionally, in Korea, it's common to see people buying chicken and beer and heading to the Han River to enjoy a riverside picnic together.
Koreans have a great fondness for Korean fried chicken paired with beer.
Koreans even organize festivals dedicated solely to fried chicken, such as the annual beer and fried chicken festival in Daegu city. Here, you can sample various Korean fried chicken brands, enjoy fresh beer, and sway to the lively beats of renowned DJs.
What Makes Korean Fried Chicken So Popular
Varieties of Sauces in Korean Fried Chicken
The concept of sauces for fried chicken isn't new, but Koreans have made it a distinctive feature in their chicken dishes by using traditional ingredients like black bean paste, honey, gochujang chili paste, etc. Nowadays, apart from the basic sauces mentioned above, each label, each brand almost creates its own unique formula, enriching the already diverse library of chicken sauces. However, the most iconic and beloved sauces undoubtedly include the famous sweet and tangy spicy sauce.
If you've ever had Korean fried chicken, you've probably been overwhelmed by the countless sauce options without knowing which one to choose.
Sauces are what set apart Korean fried chicken dishes.
Diverse Culinary Techniques for Korean Fried Chicken
Initially, Korean chicken primarily revolved around fried preparations, but now, discarding the 'fried' label, Korean chicken can be grilled, deboned before frying, stir-fried, topped with oven-melted cheese... the options are endless. This way, Korean chicken has distinguished itself from the fast food realm. While fast-food joints serve pre-fried chicken using industrial fryers set to precise timings for each batch, Korean chicken carries a more 'homely' flavor, as it's hand-fried, hand-sauced, grilled, stir-fried, or baked according to customers' requests.
The diversity in preparation methods also contributes to the current status of Korean chicken.
The Korean fried chicken craze is influenced by Korean culture.
Our love for Korean chicken is reciprocated manifold by Koreans themselves, if not more. K-pop idols, being Korean, have often been seen going crazy over chicken dishes, or even simply enjoying a Korean fried chicken while watching a Korean movie. It's not uncommon to witness scenes of actors relishing a delicious piece of Korean fried chicken. And when idols and actors repeatedly display such behavior, it inevitably creates a kind of 'obsession' that leads their fans to also develop a fondness for Korean chicken.
The fame of Korean chicken, like other dishes from the land of Kimchi, is almost always intertwined with the popularity of Korean culture.
In reality, crispy battered fried chicken is a relatively new concept to Koreans, introduced by Americans during the war era. Previously, most people only boiled or steamed chicken. However, from such an 'imported' dish, Koreans have added their own unique twists characteristic of Korean cuisine, turning Korean fried chicken into a craze, a globally popular culinary keyword, especially in Vietnam.
