Have you ever heard of the work "Chimaek" in Korea?
When Koreans are asked what goes best with cold beer, there is no hesitation for their answers. It is "fried chicken." The combination is so popular that a new word was invented to describe it: Chimaek(치맥 in Korean), Chi from chicken(치킨) and maek from maekju(맥주 for beer).
The city of Daegu, which is hometown for many fried chicken franchises, held the second Chimaek Festival last summer(July 2014). This festival is a one-of-a-kind event that is dedicated to the combo of fried chicken and beer, called chimaek.
Chimaek has become a unique drinking custom of Koreans. Fried chicken was introduced to Korean beerhouses as a side dish for draft beer in the 1970s and quickly gained popularity with workers. Chimaek culture has been a part of Korean drinking culture since then, but it was the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup that marked the milestone in the history of Chimaek. Many Koreans wearing red T-shirts gathered together in beerhouses to have draft beer with fried cihcken and cheer for the Korean soccer team. That is when Chimaek firmly established its place as a mainstream drinking custom of Korea.
So when did Koreans begin eating deep-fried chicken?
Back in the 1950s and 60s, the most prevalent way of cooking a whole chicken was to boil it with sticky rice, ginseng and dried dates, called Samgyetang(삼계탕). *** Samgyetang is a healthy invigorating summer treat and still being passed down.
In 1960, however, the forerunner of deep-fried chicken surfaced at Myeongdong Yeongyang Center in Seoul. The restaurant began to sell whole chicken by grilling it in an electric ove, which became a popular snack. But Lims Chicken is considered the first fried chicken joint in 1977. In addition, the arrival of KFC in 1984 from the United States also played a role in pushing Korean fried chicken industry.
Fried chicken instantly became a favorite of children, but the 1982 advent of coating the bird in a sweet and spicy sauce even attracted older people who had previously shunned fried chicken for its greasiness. The first fried chicken covered in sweet and spicy sauce was developed by Pelicana Chicken in 1982, which was then based in Daejeon. Both Lims Chicken and Pelicana Chicken are still operating.
Over the years, various types of fried chicken have evolved using gochujang(red pepper paste;고추장), red pepper flakes, soy sauce, garlic, and other ingredients that delight the Korean palate. Riding the wave of this new trend, fried chicken franchises continue to pop up, offering an even greater choice of fried chicken varieties. These days, chicken lovers can choose from among fried chicken covered with sweet and spicy sauces, sauces with a soy sauce base, and much much more.
How different? American version and Korean version of fried chicken
Although Koreans have been eating fried chicken for years, as mentioned above, Korean fried chicken was influenced by American fried chicken. However, Korean fried chicken differs from typical American fried chicken by being fried twice. This results in the skin being crunchier and less greasy. Furthermore, Korean-style chicken is not characterized by the crags and crusty nubs associated with American fried chicken as described by Julia Moskin of The New York Times as a "thin, crackly and almost transparent". The chickens are usually seasoned with spices, sugar, and salt, prior to and after being fried. Korean fried chicken restaurants commonly use small- or medium- sized chicken, in other words, younger chickens resulting in more tender meat.
Fried Chicken's origins
While English farm owners in the United States tended to eat roasted poultry, Scottish immigrants are believed to have popularized fried chicken. Spices were later added to the coating by African cooks who were enslaved on plantation in the American South. The birthplace of the U.S. style of fried chicken is believed to be Kentucky and Louisiana.
Korean style fried chicken is radically different, reflecting an Asian frying technique that renders out the fat in the skin, transforming it into a thin, crackly and almost transparent crust. The chicken is unseasoned, barely dredged in very fine flour and then dipped into a thin batter before going into the fryer. The oil temperature is relatively low 350 degrees, and the chicken is fried twice.
For crunch, American style fried chicken relies on a thick, well-seasoned crust, often made even thicker by soaking the chicken pieces beforehand in buttermilk. When that crust is nubbly and evenly browned, and the chicken meat is cooked through, the chicken is sublime.
In addition, in Korea, chickens are much smaller. Korean fried chickens are typically cut into smaller pieces to ensure that the meat is uniformly juicy and to make eaters easy to take.
** Now armed with this knowledge, go forth and conquer your future Chimaek voyage!
