Type Gui Serving temperature Warm | Place of origin Korea Main ingredients Chicken | |
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Alternative names Spicy stir-fried chicken Similar Galbi, Mak‑guksu, Samgyeopsal, Bulgogi, Dak‑bokkeum‑tang | ||
Dak-galbi or spicy stir-fried chicken is a popular Korean dish generally made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a gochujang (chili pepper paste) based sauce with sliced cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, onions, perilla leaves, and tteok (rice cake) on a hot plate. It is a local specialty in the Korean city of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, where dak galbi originated. Because of its origin, the dish is also called Chunchŏn dak galbi.
It is said that dak galbi appeared after the late 1960s as an inexpensive anju (food that is eaten while drinking) in small taverns on the outskirts of the city to replace the comparatively expensive gui dishes, which are grilled over charcoal. The dish spread to Chunchŏn's main districts, where the livestock industry thrives and offers fresh ingredients with no need for refrigeration. There is a street known as dak galbi golmok (dak galbi alley) that has a high concentration of dak galbi restaurants. Due to the city's northern location, it is a common destination for conscripted soldiers on leave.
It is also a popular dish for university students on a low budget, as dak galbi is relatively cheap and served in abundance. It earned the nickname "commoners' galbi" or "university student's galbi" back in the 1970s.
Although its name means chicken ribs, there is no rib meat in dak galbi.
The city of Chunchŏn has held an annual autumn festival dedicated to dak galbi since 2005.
