''Dak-galbi'' (), or spicy stir-fried chicken, is a popular South Korean dish made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a ''
gochujang
''Gochujang'' or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...
tteok
''Tteok'' () is a general term for Korean rice cakes. They are made with steamed flour of various grains, especially glutinous rice, glutinous and non-glutinous Japonica rice, rice. Steamed flour can also be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make ...
'' (rice cake), and other ingredients.
* 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
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...
ssam
' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable.
History and etymology
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
Chuncheon (; ; literally ''spring river''), formerly romanized as Ch'unch'ŏn, is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the north of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River (Korea), Han R ...
. It replaced the comparatively expensive '' gui'' dishes which were grilled over charcoal. ''Dak-galbi'' spread to Chuncheon's main districts, where the livestock industry was thriving and offered fresh ingredients with no need for refrigeration. 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.
The dish is a local specialty of Chuncheon and is often referred to as Chuncheon-''dak-galbi''. 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.
In Seoul
There is a ''dak-galbi street'' () in Myeong-dong,
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, and there are dozens of restaurants there.
Gallery
File:닭갈비 (조리전).jpg, Before cooking
File:닭갈비 (조리후).jpg, After cooking
File:Cooking Dak-galbi in Seoul Korea.jpg, Cooking dakgalbi at the table at a restaurant in Seoul
See also
*
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...