The story
Dakgalbi comes from Chuncheon, a lakeside city northeast of Seoul. The story goes that in the 1960s a couple running a pork restaurant there ran out of pork and cooked chicken the same way instead; Kim Yeong-seok is usually named as the inventor. First called dakbulgogi and grilled over charcoal, it was served as a snack to go with drinks. Chicken was cheap and plentiful in the hard years after the Korean War, and the big portions won over soldiers and students, earning it the nickname commoners' galbi. Dozens of restaurants now line the city's Myeongdong Dakgalbi Street.
Also known as dak-galbi, 닭갈비, Chuncheon dakgalbi, spicy stir-fried chicken.
On the Meridish menu
Dakgalbi was the main course on menu No. 32 on November 1, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Chicken stir-fried in a giant iron pan with red chilli paste, cabbage and rice cakes. A pork restaurant here ran out of pork in the 1960s, and soldiers and students made it a hit.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dak-galbi
- amp.cnn.com/cnn/travel/article/dak-galbi-chuncheon-cuisine-south-korea
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
