# Watch out, KFC! Korean Fried Chicken (and Beer) Has Arrived > Meet chimaek, the Korean cultural phenomenon that pairs fried chicken with beer into a beloved national pastime. Find out what makes it so irresistible. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/chimek-fenomen-koreiskoi-kultury-shcho-obiednuie-smazhenu-kurku-ta-pyvo-u-populiarne-natsionalne-provedennia-chasu/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-04-24 - Categories: Culture, Leisure, Restaurants, Korea, Food & Drinks, Events --- Neither fried chicken nor beer got its start in Korea. But the marriage of these two foreign imports has become a culturally significant force in Korean drinking culture. The country is packed with places to eat chicken. As of 2013, South Korea had more than 20,000 establishments serving fried chicken. The fried chicken market is valued at roughly 3 trillion won (about 3 billion dollars), according to Statistics Korea. Daegu even hosts a festival dedicated to chicken and beer. ## Chimaek: the Kimye and Brangelina of the chicken world ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-20-1-2024.jpg) Like any famous couple, chicken and beer share a nickname: chimaek ("chi" from "chicken" and "maek" from "maekju," the Korean word for "beer"). Chimaek has been around for a long time, but the term itself took off in 2010, the year of the FIFA World Cup, which turned out to be something of a golden year for chimaek. Its popularity shows no sign of fading, and it has grown from a national dish into a national pastime. "Chimaek is like a sigh of relief," says Kim Min-jung, who works at a law firm in Seoul. "Chimaek after work lets me know I made it through another day." "It's part of our national culture," says bar owner Park Wito, who occasionally orders chicken delivered to his own bar. "Chimaek is both an industry and a part of our food culture." The Korean style of chicken that's worthy of chimaek is defined by an enormous range of options, all falling under the chimaek umbrella. Some argue that only a particular frying method can count as "authentic" Korean chicken, but there are so many styles of chimaek (spots are constantly dreaming up new techniques and flavor combinations) that no one can really say what qualifies and what doesn't. There's proto-Korean fried chicken, the whole fried chicken (tongdak). There's chicken cooked over charcoal (sutbul chicken). There's boneless chicken (sunsal), coated in a sweet and spicy sauce (yangnyeom) and generously topped with leeks (padak). There's no hierarchy here, just a varied lineup to suit every taste. Chicken was once considered a delicacy in Korea, stewed whole with dates and ginseng and served on special occasions. Fried chicken for the masses arrived with the release of South Korea's first vegetable cooking oil in 1971, alongside a rapidly growing chicken industry. Fried chicken was embraced as the perfect snack to go with draft beer, and in the years that followed a wave of chicken franchises appeared. Their growth was fueled by the financial crisis of the late 1990s, when some of those who lost their jobs decided to open chicken joints. ## Global fame ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-20-2-2024.jpg) Korean-style fried chicken is catching on abroad. The chimaek fever that swept China last year can be traced back to a line from the hit South Korean TV drama "My Love from the Star." Chimaek often shows up as the heroine's favorite comfort food, and she declares, "It's snowing. How can you not have chimaek?" The show inspired a chimaek festival in the Chinese city of Ningbo, social media memes, and long lines outside Korean fried chicken restaurants across China. Xinhua, China's state news agency, credited the TV drama and the chimaek trend with driving a revival of chicken farms in 2014 after they had been hit by fears tied to the H7N9 avian flu. "Sales at the Kyochon Chicken branch on Zhiteng Street in Shanghai more than tripled compared with the previous year after the success of ('My Love from the Star')," reports Gil Yong-hwa of Kyochon Chicken. "We had customers lining up for two hours to get their chicken." Kyochon made a splash in the domestic chicken delivery market in 1991 with its signature soy sauce chicken. Today the major chain remains a favorite at home and has opened branches in the United States, China, and Southeast Asia. "The drama's effect wasn't as big in the US as it was in China, but sales are climbing steadily," says Gil. "And Korean-style fried chicken is becoming more and more popular in the US. The response abroad has been especially good for Kyochon's garlic soy sauce chicken, which is nothing like the fried chicken you'd try at, say, KFC." Bonchon is another Korean chicken franchise that Korean chimaek lovers might not recognize: its overseas locations (more than 150) far outnumber its two Korean branches. But according to Lee Jin-woo, who manages the branch in Haeundae in the South Korean city of Busan, Bonchon's signature sauce is still made in Korea and shipped to locations around the world. ## Chicken talk Chimaek isn't the only word born from pairing "chicken" and "beer." Chimaek fans call themselves "chidokhu," a mashup of "chicken" and "dokhu," meaning "maniac." These chidokhu might refer to chicken as "chineunim," combining "chicken" with the Korean word for "God." Connoisseurs who can tell brands apart without even peeking inside the delivery box are called chimmelier, a blend of "chimaek" and "sommelier." There's even a specific chicken hallelujah: chillelujah! ## How to do chimaek Whatever the level of chimaek awareness abroad, in Seoul finding a spot for chimaek is never a problem. In fact, the sheer variety can be overwhelming. Here are a few places to start. 1\. Saerona Hof ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-20-3-2024.jpg) This cozy chimaek spot opened in 1977 and has become the kind of place where you'll wait for a table even on weekdays. The chicken dusted with curry powder on top (18,000 won/$16) is by far the most popular and most worthwhile dish on the menu. It tastes so good it makes you wonder what other magic powders might be involved. The "My Love from the Star" effect was felt here, too. "But we were popular before that," says owner Gang Hyun-sook, who still fries and serves the chicken herself. 2\. Sai Chicken Long regarded as one of the best chimaek spots in Seoul, Sai, which means "between," used to sit in a narrow alley in the relatively hard-to-reach, hilly neighborhood of Buam-dong. There's now a second location in the more accessible Hongdae area. Both spots serve Sai's famous set of fried chicken and sukju (green bean sprouts), with beer, of course. 3\. Han River delivery ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-20-4-2024.jpg) "Chimaek with friends by the Han River in summer makes even the heat bearable," says Kim Ji-ha, a designer from Seoul and a chimaek lover. "I love biking down to the Han River, spreading a blanket on the grass, and ordering chicken delivered the way you can only do it here in Korea, straight to the park," Kim says. Chimaek by the Han River means BYOB (bring your own beer) or delivery, but you get your pick of picnic spots along the river and your choice of chicken franchises. Banpo Park is a popular spot, well known to the scooter drivers delivering chicken. The picnic delivery market is so competitive that you'll see vendors from nationwide franchises and local family-run joints handing out flyers all over the park. 4\. Sangsu Ddobagi Chicken ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-20-5-2024.jpg) The Ddobagi franchise branch in the Sangsu-dong neighborhood feels like a small family-run place. As at many neighborhood spots, the chicken at Ddobagi is easy on the wallet. Prices for Ddobagi chicken start at 10,000 won ($9). 5\. The Frypan "The boneless fried chicken at The Frypan (is addictive)," says local journalist Kurt Achin, who has lived and eaten chicken in South Korea for ten years. The Frypan rose to popularity by serving chicken and beer in a bright, cafe-like setting, breaking away from the norm of cramped pubs. Boneless chicken tenders are available at Frypan locations across the country. The two listed below are located near major universities.