Dak-galbi (닭갈비), or spicy stir-fried chicken, is a popular South Korean dish made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a gochujang-based sauce with sweet potatoes, cabbage, perilla leaves, scallions, tteok (rice cake), and other ingredients.[2] In Korean, galbi means rib, and usually refers to braised or grilled short ribs. Dak-galbi is not made with chicken ribs, however, and the dish gained this nickname during the post-War era when chicken was used as a substitute for pork ribs. Many dak-galbi restaurants have round hot plates that are built into the tables. Lettuce and perilla leaves are served as ssam (wrap) vegetables.[3]

Dak-galbi
Alternative namesSpicy stir-fried chicken
TypeBokkeum
Place of originSouth Korea
Associated cuisineSouth Korean cuisine
Serving temperatureWarm
Main ingredientsChicken
Food energy
(per 4 serving)
788 kcal (3299 kJ)[1]
Korean name
Hangul
닭갈비
Revised Romanizationdak-galbi
McCune–Reischauertak-kalbi
IPA[tak̚.k͈al.bi]

History and etymology

edit

Although dak and galbi translate into "chicken" and "rib" respectively, the term dak-galbi does not refer to chicken ribs.

This dish was developed in the 1960s as grilled chicken-pieces, an inexpensive anju accompaniment to alcoholic drinks in small taverns on the outskirts of Chuncheon.[4] It replaced the comparatively expensive gui dishes which were grilled over charcoal.[4] Dak-galbi spread to Chuncheon's main districts, where the livestock industry was thriving and offered fresh ingredients with no need for refrigeration.[4] As a relatively cheap dish served in large portions, it gained popularity with soldiers and students on a budget and earned the nickname "commoners' galbi" or "university student's galbi" in the 1970s.[5]

The dish is a local specialty of Chuncheon and is often referred to as Chuncheon-dak-galbi.[4] An annual festival dedicated to dak-galbi is held in Chuncheon, where there is also a dak-galbi alley with a large number of dak-galbi restaurants.[6]

In Seoul

edit

There is a dak-galbi street (닭갈비 거리) in Myeong-dong, Seoul, and there are dozens of restaurants there.[7]

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "dak-galbi" 닭갈비. Korean Food Foundation (in Korean). Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. ^ National Institute of Korean Language (30 July 2014). "주요 한식명(200개) 로마자 표기 및 번역(영, 중, 일) 표준안" (PDF) (in Korean). Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  3. ^ Espsäter, Anna Maria (24 August 2013). "Go with the flow on a South Korean cycle". The Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Chuncheon dakgalbi" 춘천닭갈비 [Spicy Grilled Chicken]. Doopedia (in Korean). Doosan Corporation. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. ^ Kim, Violet (14 August 2015). "Food map: Eat your way around South Korea". CNN. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Chuncheon Dakgalbi & Makguksu Festival" 춘천 닭갈비막국수축제. Korea Tourism Organization. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. ^ "The story behind dak-galbi, South Korea's most fascinating dish". CNN. February 13, 2018.
edit