I was eating some good chicken with friends at a Seoul restaurant while drinking a refreshing beer thinking of being in front of a normal dinner, until they pointed out to me that what my taste buds were pleasantly enjoying was the famous Chimaek (치맥), from Korean chikin, which means chicken, and maekju : beer!
This combination has found a name in the local language and has become one of the most widespread culinary experiences and certainly to try if you are traveling in South Korea. A typical anju meal (안주), which in the eastern country is the food consumed with alcoholic beverages, the equivalent of sakana in Japan, among the most popular of the “drinking culture” in South Korea.
The tasty chicken of Chimaek is usually served fried, but it can also be roasted or baked. Often the dish is spicy, but you can also find versions that don’t fiercely attack the tongue of those who are not too used to these strong tastes. Over the years, in South Korea, several restaurant chains have sprung up around the city, each with its own unique and secret recipe that has made the chicken unique and drives loyal customers back for another round!
From research done here and there I discovered that Chimaek was “born” around the 70s, when beer started to become popular and to be paired with chicken and sold as a unique menu. The meat at the beginning was simply served boiled, but during these years vegetable oil was introduced as an element for cooking, this allowed the creation of delicious fried dishes and made the chicken one of the most popular and appreciated foods in South Korea. Over time, many variants were born with different super tasty sauces, sometimes sweet and with a dense, sometimes delicate and aromatic consistency, which became popular throughout the country and beyond: the Korean dish is famous and loved throughout Asia.
The words chicken and beer started to be paired together as one only word in 2002, during the Japan-Korea soccer world cup, creating the now very famous Chimaek . Korean fans gathered to support their national team, enjoying the fried food with the fresh alcoholic drink in the public parks equipped with giant screens that broadcasted the football match. Immediately after this event the restaurants that served this specialty doubled in number and today the chains that distribute this Korean dish are around 200 all over the country, almost always offering home delivery service.
You can find areas of Seoul and other Korean cities where several restaurants prepare and serve to the table this delicious combination of beer accompanied with chicken, which I recommend trying in its various recipes, both fried and roasted, for a pleasant evening with friends.
