Dak galbi

Dak-galbi, or spicy stir-fried chicken, is a cherished Korean dish featuring marinated, diced chicken cooked in a zesty gochujang sauce. This dish often incorporates sweet potatoes, cabbage, perilla leaves, scallions, and chewy rice cakes known as tteok. Interestingly, despite "galbi" meaning rib in Korean, this dish does not actually contain chicken ribs.

In many dak-galbi restaurants, round hot plates are built directly into the tables, creating an interactive and enjoyable dining experience. To further enhance the dish, you can wrap the flavorful chicken and vegetables in fresh lettuce or perilla leaves, forming a delicious ssam (wrap).

Dak-galbi has humble origins. It emerged in the 1960s as a grilled chicken dish served in small taverns on the outskirts of Chuncheon, primarily as anju, or snacks to pair with alcoholic beverages. It quickly became popular due to its cost-effectiveness compared to other grilled dishes that required charcoal cooking. By the 1970s, it had garnered a significant following among soldiers and students, who appreciated its affordability, generous portions, and the fresh ingredients sourced from Chuncheon's lively livestock industry. It even earned nicknames such as "commoners' galbi" and "university student's galbi."

Chuncheon is widely recognized as the birthplace of dak-galbi, often referred to as Chuncheon-dak-galbi. The city honors this culinary tradition with an annual dak-galbi festival and boasts a dak-galbi alley teeming with numerous restaurants specializing in this flavorful dish.