''Tongdak'' (, "whole chicken") is a variety 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 ...

, prepared by deep-frying a whole chicken. It was a popular food in 1970s, being the only kind of

fried chicken Fried chicken, also known as Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

sold in Korea at that time. It is considered as the proto-Korean fried chicken. As more varieties of "whole chicken" dishes are also enjoyed in Korea nowadays and the generic term ''tongdak'' can refer to any "whole chicken" (e.g.

rotisserie chicken Rotisserie chicken is a chicken dish that is cooked on a rotisserie by using direct heat in which the chicken is placed next to the heat source. Electric- or gas-powered heating elements may be used by using adjustable infrared heat. These type ...

is called ''jeongi-gui-tongdak'' (, "electric-grilled whole chicken") in Korea), the 70s-style whole chicken is now called ''yennal-tongdak'' (, "old-time whole chicken"). It is now sold as retro food in many traditional markets as well as streets in provincial cities.

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...

in Gyeonggi Province is famous for its ''tongdak golmok'' (, "''tongdak'' alley") with dozens of ''tongdak'' restaurants that are over 40 years old.

Preparation

Whole chicken seasoned with salt and black pepper is coated with a thin layer of

weak flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bread ...

(wheat flour with a low W), and deep-fried on low heat for a long time. Before frying, cuts are made to the thicker parts such as the breast and thighs to cook the chicken evenly.

References

Deep fried foods Fried chicken South Korean chicken dishes Street food in South Korea {{Korea-cuisine-stub

Preparation

See also

References