Fried or Spicy Chicken?

 “When you see the chicken bone, make sure nobody knows whether you ate fried chicken or spicy chicken.”

치킨 뼈를 봤을 때 후라이드를 먹었는지 양념을 먹었는지 모르게 하라

Spicy, fried, soy sauce or garlic – you name it! First introduced to Korea in the 1960s, chicken has found its place as one of Korea’s most beloved dishes. Not only do children love it as a snack, but adults also enjoy it with alcoholic beverages. The love of chicken even manifests itself in the Korean language. This humorous modern saying applies not only to chicken leftovers, but also means that when you eat chicken, you should clean the bones so well so that no one can figure out what type of chicken you ate. It is a legacy of the frugal minds of Koreans who suffered through years of poverty during the mid-20th century.

How has Korean chicken preparation developed over the years? Before the 1960s, there was no such thing as fried chicken. Only boiled chicken, cooked in water for a long time with jujube and ginseng, was served. Then in the 1960s, Koreans started to roast their chickens rather than boiling them, adopting Western ways of roasting and frying food. The first electrically roasted chicken was sold in the Myeongdong Nutrition Center, which opened in 1961, and soon earned national popularity. In this era, it was common for fathers to return to their homes with roasted chicken in paper bags on paydays.

Thanks to Korea’s fast economic development, fried chicken became more publically accessible in the 1970’s. The economic development offered two advantages to help the chicken industry prosper. One was an increase of meat production. Enforced from 1962 to 1966, the first five-year economic development plan drastically increased the meat production rate – by 13 times. The other advantage was the introduction of cooking oil. In the past, people often fried their chicken with shortening, since they lacked proper frying oil. The introduction of Haepyo cooking oil in 1971 made it possible for stores to make better-tasting chicken.

Koreans finally started to develop their own Korean-style chicken in the 1980’s. The first Korean-style chicken was yangnyeom chicken. Seasoned with gochujang, yangnyeom chicken has attracted Koreans with its sweet and spicy flavors. In addition, fried chicken was served in bars with alcoholic beverages, generating new types of bar chicken like garlic and curry.

Since the 1990s, a variety of chicken has been introduced and loved by Koreans. In the late 1990s, barbeque chicken became popular. In early 2000, the famous soy sauce chicken and fire chicken gained popularity, followed by chopped scallion chicken. Recently, grilled chicken has become a popular menu item, as Koreans have started to seek more healthy meal options. Whatever you choose, do not forget to clean it to the bone!