Dak galbi, also romanized dalk galbi, is a popular South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n dish generally made by stir-frying marinated

Marination

Marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid...

 diced chicken in a gochujang

Gochujang

Gochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae in the backyard...

(chili pepper paste) based sauce, and sliced cabbage

Cabbage

Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...

, sweet potato, scallion

Scallion

Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...

s, onion

Onion

The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...

s and tteok

Tteok

Tteok is a class of Korean rice cakes made with glutinous rice flour , by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round...

(rice cake

Rice cake

A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten, and are particularly prevalent in Asia. The origin of rice cake seems to be...

) together on a hot plate. It is a local specialty food for the city of Chuncheon

Chuncheon

Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...

, Gangwon Province

Gangwon-do (South Korea)

Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...

, where dak galbi originates. Because of its origin, the dish is also called Chuncheon dak galbi.

It is said that dak galbi appeared after the late 1960s as an inexpensive anju

Anju (food)

Anju is a general term for a Korean side dish consumed with alcohol . Some of these side dishes can also be ordered as an appetizer or a main dish. These side dishes are different from the banchan side dishes served with a regular Korean meal...

(food that is eaten while drinking) in small taverns, on the outskirts of the city to replace the comparatively expensive gui

Gui

Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...

dishes which are grilled over charcoal

Charcoal

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...

. The dish has spread to the main districts of Chuncheon, where the livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

industry thrives and offers fresh ingredients with no need for refrigeration. There is a street known as dak galbi golmok (dak galbi alley) which 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 who are 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.

Despite the fact that its name means chicken ribs, there is no rib meat in dak galbi.

The city of Chuncheon has held an annual autumn festival dedicated to dak galbi since 2005.

External links

• Chuncheon Dalkgallbi & Makkuksu Festival, Chuncheon City Official site
• Chuncheon Dak Galbi Recipe, From Easy Korean Food
• ttp://mykoreankitchen.com/