I recently had an old-fashioned Korean whole fried chicken together with fried chicken gizzards. In Korea, this kind of chicken is often called yetnal tongdak, which literally means “old-fashioned whole chicken.” It is a simple style of fried chicken that is still commonly sold at traditional markets and small neighborhood chicken shops.
Unlike many modern Korean fried chicken brands that sell chicken cut into pieces and covered with different sauces, old-fashioned market chicken is usually fried as a whole bird with relatively simple seasoning. Another advantage is the price. Chicken has become much more expensive in Korea, but this type of market-style fried chicken can still often be found at a relatively affordable price.
What Is Dakttongjip, or Chicken Gizzard?
When I was young, I used to eat fried chicken gizzards quite often. In Korean, chicken gizzard is commonly called dakttongjip. The Korean name may sound unusual when translated literally, but the food has nothing to do with the intestine. It is the chicken's gizzard, a thick and muscular part of the digestive system.
Because chickens do not have teeth, the gizzard helps grind food before digestion. This is why the muscle is naturally firm and chewy. When fried, the outside can become crispy while the inside keeps its characteristic dense and springy texture.
In the past, fried or stir-fried chicken gizzards were also common drinking foods at Korean pubs. Stir-fried gizzards seasoned with garlic, peppers, and vegetables were particularly familiar bar food. These days, I seem to see them much less often. Even some of Korea's older chicken franchises no longer have chicken gizzards on their regular menus, so perhaps demand has decreased compared with the past.
Korean Old-Fashioned Whole Fried Chicken
Although it is called old-fashioned fried chicken, the version I ate seemed to have a little modern-style seasoning added to it. There was a slight spicy flavor. Still, the basic appearance was exactly what I associate with Korean market chicken: one whole chicken fried without being cut into individual pieces first.
Koreans sometimes simply call this style “market chicken” because it has long been a familiar sight at traditional markets. The skin is generally crisp, the seasoning is relatively simple, and the chicken itself is smaller and less elaborate than many modern franchise versions.
Recently, I feel that many Korean fried chicken varieties have become increasingly sweet because of sauces and seasoning. Personally, I was glad that this old-fashioned chicken did not have much sweetness. It could become a little greasy after eating several pieces, but the slight spiciness helped balance that richness.
The chicken gizzards I had this time were unfortunately cooked a little too long. Gizzards are naturally firmer and chewier than ordinary chicken meat, so overcooking them can make them quite tough. These were noticeably hard and also slightly too salty for my taste.
Looking at the photo again, I can see that they were indeed fried quite heavily. When cooked properly, chicken gizzards should still have a pleasant chewiness without becoming excessively hard.
Korea now has countless major fried chicken franchises such as Kyochon, BHC, BBQ, Pelicana, and Mexicana, with many different sauces and cooking styles. Still, sometimes I prefer buying a simple old-fashioned whole chicken from a neighborhood shop or traditional market.
It is inexpensive, uncomplicated, and also has a slightly nostalgic feeling that is different from modern franchise chicken.
A Nostalgic Korean Chicken Memory
In my childhood, fried chicken did not feel like the everyday food it is in Korea today. In my memory of the 1980s and 1990s, chicken was something families might bring together with gimbap for special occasions such as an elementary school sports day.
At that time, I remember eating sweet and spicy yangnyeom chicken more often than plain fried chicken. My family rarely ordered chicken for delivery at home. Later, as large franchises such as Kyochon and BBQ became widespread, ordering fried chicken gradually became much more common.
Today, Korean fried chicken is an ordinary part of everyday food culture, and chimaek—chicken with beer—is well known even outside Korea. But old-fashioned market chicken and fried chicken gizzards still remind me of an earlier style of Korean chicken food: simpler, cheaper, and closely connected with neighborhood markets and old-fashioned pubs.
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