Taiwanese fried chicken (; also ), westernized as

popcorn chicken Popcorn chicken is a dish consisting of small, bite-sized pieces of chicken (about the size of popped corn kernels) that have been breaded and fried. The idea was originally developed by KFC in the 1990s but has since spread. KFC Popcorn chi ...

, is a dish in

Taiwanese cuisine Taiwanese cuisine (, Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄌㄧㄠˋㄌㄧˇ, or , Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄘㄞˋ) has several variations. The earliest known cuisines of Taiwan are that of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Over hundred years of histor ...

commonly found as street snack and is indispensable to the

night markets in Taiwan Taiwanese night markets ( zh, t=夜市, p=yèshì) are street markets in Taiwan that operate in urban or suburban areas between sunset and sunrise. A few, such as Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market (or Snake Alley), utilize purpose-built marketplac ...

. It consists of bite-sized pieces of

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

, coated and fried with flour and seasoning mixture. Salt and pepper is the staple condiment, while

chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

, lightly fried

basil Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...

leaves, and garlic bits are added for preference. Since the creation of this dish, it has become a popular fast food or restaurant appetizer in other countries in Asia, as well as among Asian immigrant populations overseas.

Origins

Taiwanese fried chicken is famous for its taste and texture, breaking through the confinement of the other snacks, and having a high status in the

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

space. It then rapidly became prevalent in the street and night markets. Despite the fact that the history of this dish is not long, it evolved rapidly due to stiff competition, and many different varieties have been made. In the early stages of the dish, the fried chicken was merely combined with different levels of chili powder to separate into mild, medium, and extra spicy flavors. Different varieties of the dish change according to trends and use many other seasonings, such as

allspice Allspice, also known as Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, or pimento, is the dried unripe berry (botany), berry of ''Pimenta dioica'', a Canopy (forest), midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, ...

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

powder,

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

powder, etc. Some versions are covered in honey, or filled with cheese, or any number of radically different preparations. Rather than being fried in just one pot of oil, it uses two pots of oil with different temperatures in order to optimize the crunchy texture and taste. Some vendors grill the chicken first, then fry it for extra crunch. It uses high-temperature oils to lock in the natural juices of the meat, followed by low temperature oils to complete the cooking process and ensure food safety. Using this method can eliminate common problems, such as chicken that is either not fully cooked or overcooked leading to loss of juiciness and a dry texture. Frying the chickens with one pot of oil often results in a thick layer of fried breading and thin layer of meat, while using two pots can prevent this from happening. Some vendors fry the dish using the subcutaneous layer of fat on the chicken, which can make improve the fragrance and reduce greasiness in the final product. However, the cost of this method is high, which why it is less common.

Popularity in Hong Kong

Hong Kong and Taiwan have close ties and people travel a lot between the two, hence the products have long been well known among Hong Kong people. This means that Hong Kong is a big market for Taiwanese food. For this reason, it is crucial to bring Hong Kong customers the authentic Taiwanese fried chicken, with high-quality ingredients. There are some famous brands selling Taiwanese food in Hong Kong, such as the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken and Ji Guang. In 2016, the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken had the largest market share of this industry, with 15 branches.

Traditional preparation

In general, only diced chicken leg or thigh meat is used and is marinated in soy sauce, sugar, garlic spread, rice wine,

five-spice powder Five-spice powder () is a spice mixture of five or more spices used predominantly in almost all branches of Chinese cuisine. It is also used in Hawaiian cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine. The five flavors of the spices (sweet, bitter, sour, sal ...

and spices powder for at least an hour. After marinating, chicken is dipped in beaten egg and then dredged in flour or sweet potato starch. Oil needs to be heated to 180 degrees (C) and when the oil is hot, the chicken can be added. It is deep fried until the surface color turns soft yellow and then it is ready to serve. Traditionally, after the chicken is fried, more pepper is added before eating.

In America

Taiwanese fried chicken is popular in the United States.

Notes

References

*Jennings, R. (n.d.). Where to find the best Taiwanese food in Taipei. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from http://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1612070/where-find-best-taiwanese-food-taipei *Taiwanese fried chicken brand establishes foothold in Hong Kong. (2013, November 20). Retrieved 24 March 2016, from https://web.archive.org/web/20151231121035/http://www1.investhk.gov.hk/news-item/taiwanese-fried-chicken-brand-establishes-foothold-in-hong-kong/ *宋博士香雞排大賣計畫開第2分店. (２０１３, May ７). Retrieved 23 March 2016, from https://news.housefun.com.tw/news/article/20046630649.html *豪大大雞排藉加盟店速擴張. (2015, May 25). Retrieved 23 March 2016, from http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/financeestate/art/20150525/19159040 *I. (2015, February 2). Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken , Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Recipe , Eat the Love. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from http://www.eatthelove.com/2015/02/taiwanese-popcorn-chicken/ *M. H. (2014, June 20). Fried Foods May Cause Type-2 Diabetes and Heart Disease. Retrieved 24 March 2016, from http://time.com/2907248/fried-food-linked-to-diabetes-and-heart-disease-with-an-asterisk/ *Malaysia, R. (2009, October 21). Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe , Easy Delicious Recipes: Rasa Malaysia. Retrieved 23 March 2016, from http://rasamalaysia.com/salt-and-pepper-chicken-recipe/ *JJ.LYMM ( 2013, April 3).How to Cook Fried Chicken Steak 大雞排 Taiwanese Style Retrieved 23 March 2016, from http://taiwanduck.com/how-to-cook-fried-chicken-steak-taiwanese-style/ {{Street food Taiwanese chicken dishes Fried chicken

Origins

Popularity in Hong Kong

Traditional preparation

In America

See also

Notes

References