Dakgalbi

Chunks of chicken marinated in a fiery gochujang sauce are stir-fried on a big iron griddle with cabbage, sweet potato and rice cakes, the whole thing bubbling away at the centre of the table. Leftover sauce is fried with rice at the end.

Dakgalbi is widely associated with the city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, where it emerged in the 1960s as a hearty, affordable meal in the years following the Korean War. Its exact origin is debated, but the dish is commonly said to have been created by local restaurants grilling chicken with gochujang sauce over charcoal, and it quickly became a regional specialty.

Traditionally cooked at the table on a large iron griddle, dakgalbi is a communal dish that brings diners together around a bubbling pan of chicken, cabbage, sweet potato, and rice cakes. Modern variations often add melted cheese on top, and it is customary to finish the meal by frying rice in the remaining spicy sauce—a practice that highlights its role as a fun, interactive dining experience popular across South Korea.