 A typicalchimaek combination | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | South Korea |
| Associatedcuisine | South Korean cuisine |
| Invented | 1970s |
| Main ingredients | Korean fried chicken,beer |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 치맥 |
| RR | chimaek |
| MR | ch'imaek |
| Original phrase | |
| Hangul | 치킨 맥주 |
| RR | chikin maekju |
| MR | ch'ik'in maekchu |
Chimaek (치맥; from Korean chikin 'fried chicken' and maekju 'beer'[1][2]) is a pairing offried chicken (either plainhuraideu or spicyyangnyeom) andbeer, served asanju (English:food with alcohol) in the evening in many South Korean restaurants,[2] including a number of specialized chains.
Whilechimaek as we know it today did not exist in the Joseon era, historical records suggest that similar individual components did. The 1459 cookbookSangayorok (산가요록) recordedPogye, a stir-fried chicken dish—not deep-fried[3]—and also mentionedmaekju, a barley-basedmakgeolli[4] somewhat analogous to beer, which shares the same name (maekju) in modern Korean. These elements were not combined as chimaek and were eventually forgotten until rediscovered in the late 2010s.[5] Modernchimaek is believed to have been invented in late 20th century, but it is hard to pinpoint the exact time and place. From the roasted chicken that appeared in the early 1960s to the spicy chicken that was adapted to meet Korean tastes, South Korea has imported and developeda growing variety of chicken dishes. While chicken was gaining popularity, a new draft beer which appeared in the 1970s was also becoming very popular, and it became common for the two to be combined as a single menu item. Moreover, the2002 Korea–Japan World Cup shed more light on thechimaek phenomenon, and the dish has also had a significant impact onKorean drinking culture.[6] Today, fried chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Korea. It's so popular that Koreans created the wordChi-neunim, which is a compound word of chicken and GodHaneunim in Korean.[7]
Chicken production increased 13 times as the nation's economy grew. With the introduction of cooking oil in Korea in 1971, chicken and oil were plentiful, which created an environment where people could eat more chicken. At this time, chicken and beer were sold together, which eventually led to the creation ofchimaek. In the 1970s, manufacturing workers paid 3,400South Korean won per chicken, but the price of a boiled chicken was₩2,500, and 500 cc (18 imp fl oz; 17 US fl oz) of beer was₩450.[8]
In 1977, the chicken brandRimsArchived 15 September 2018 at theWayback Machine Chicken was founded. It was quite strange for Koreans to chop and fry chicken, but its popularity was enormous, especially around the holiday seasons.[citation needed]
The wordchicken andbeer were not used in conjunction until 2002 with the Korea–Japan World Cup. Public parks would often have large screens to watch the games, and people would dress in red (the colour and nickname of thehome team) and gather together to cheer for the World Cup, while eating chicken and drinking beer. The number of chicken restaurants increased from around 10,000 to 25,000 after the World Cup.[8]
Chimaek Street is planned to be built inGimpo, South Korea. There is a prospect that various chicken restaurants will be gathered in one place and that world beer and various kinds of chicken will be a specialty of Gimpo.[9]
There are manychimaek festivals in Korea, including the Seoul Chimaek Festival which is held in mid-October in downtownSeoul. It is an event to promote Korean food culture abroad by combining chicken and beer.[citation needed] InDaegu, achimaek festival was held in 2013.[10] In 2013, achimaek festival inNingbo, China, drew some 400,000 visitors in its first three days.[10]
Chimaek is popular choice for people watching sports events such asWorld Cup andAsian Cup Especially, Convenience stores and fried chicken franchises enjoying a busy season during the World Cup.[11]
Chimaek is also popular inChina because of the popular dramaMy Love From the Star, in which Cheon Song-i, the heroine, said "A snowy day is just perfect for our Chimaek time ..."; which triggered the phenomenon. Specialty chicken shops have been more numerous in China. Uploading pictures of oneself holding a chicken in one hand and a beer in the other on social networks became a trend.[2][12]
Since December 2014, Chinese people have been willing to wait an average of three hours in front of a Korean-brand chimaek shop to enjoy the food.[citation needed] At the time of the drama's airing, thousands of "Chicken Mac sets" were sold in Hangzhou,[citation needed] and Lotte Mart in China offered a 25 percent discount for a chicken and six cans ofTsingtao beer.[relevant?]
The 2023 Oakland's Annual Chimaek Festival was held for the first time inOakland, California.[13]
Demand for specialty chicken shops increased with the growing demands for chicken and beer.[12] As of March 2014, Korea had 192 chicken franchise companies. About 10% of companies are known for unique recipes.[10]