

To enhance crispiness even with the sticky sauce applied, KoChix’s fried chicken requires double the effort. The crunchy texture and sweet flavor of their fried chicken, deliciously sweetened to appeal more to American tastes, has been nicknamed “candy chicken” by their customers. In the evenings and weekends, the entrance bell rings every thirty seconds as people line up to taste this delicious dish. In 2013, they opened KoChix , a now popular restaurant in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. As the Hallyu or “Korean wave” of K-pop music and K-dramas spread globally, the Parks believed the American palate was ready to explore their Korean-style dishes. After running fish and chips restaurants for almost two decades, they made the risky decision to sell Korean food in a neighborhood outside of the Asian ethnic enclave. Karen Park and Young-Jun Park, a Korean American immigrant family living in Washington, D.C., recognized the growing popularity of Korean fried chicken. This 1990s-style Korean fried chicken would not have been created without this U.S.-Korea culinary exchange, yet it took about two decades for it to make its way into the American food scene. What is often referred to as Korean fried chicken in the United States-a thin cornstarch coating with soy garlic or sweet and spicy sauce-is one of the recipes developed during this period. The 1997 Asian financial crisis contributed to the craze, as many laid-off workers opened fried chicken restaurants to earn a living. American franchises KFC and Popeye’s were designed for a dining-in experience in the South Korean market. Starting in the 1980s, Korean-style fried chicken dipped in a sweet and spicy sauce made with gochujang (fermented chili paste) was delivered to virtually every household in modern apartment complexes. In the 1960s and ’70s, Western-style rotisserie chicken restaurants became popular in urban areas.

military presence after the Korean War introduced deep-fried chicken to the Korean palate. Since its inception, the cooking style, ingredients, and taste of Korean fried chicken have evolved.
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It was the cliché of a happy family in Korean TV dramas. As a young girl, I dreamed of my father coming home and saying, “Hey kids, I brought fried chicken!” I remember once asking my father if he really loves us, since he never came home with a box of chicken. I order fried chicken delivery when feeling lazy, sleeping over with friends, or watching soccer or baseball games.įried chicken is a ubiquitous staple in the lives of many Koreans. In South Korea today, many people celebrate on payday or on Friday night with fried chicken, but it is not limited to these occasions.
