Piece of fried chicken held by tongs
By SARAH MOHAMED
Korean Fried Chicken Was Created On The Battlefield

All good food tells a story, and Korean fried chicken is no different, with a creation story rooted in the Korean War and a Thanksgiving feast.

During the Korean War in the 1950s, American soldiers stationed in South Korea were craving a traditional Thanksgiving feast, but since they had no turkey they used chicken.

The soldiers fried the chicken and shared the meal with their fellow Korean soldiers. Fried chicken was a new culinary concept in Korea, and it quickly became a favorite.

Today, Korean fried chicken is extra crunchy thanks to its cornstarch batter and double-fried method. It is often served with sweet and spicy sauce or soy and mustard sauce.

While fried chicken has existed for thousands of years in China, the Middle East, and West Africa, Korean fried chicken is unique for its roots in recipes from the U.S. South.

Korean fried chicken is commonly attributed to Black U.S. soldiers because Southern fried chicken was developed from the recipes of enslaved Africans and their descendants.

While Korean fried chicken remained a luxury in the country throughout the 1960s, the rise of fast food later in the century cemented the food as a mainstream meal.

Since then, the dish has made its way to the United States, thanks to restaurants like KoChix and the H Mart food court, where the tasty fried chicken is available.

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