Korean fried chicken has been named the world's top-rated fried dish. It also ranked first among Korean foods, beating out bibimbap, galbi and kimchi stew.
No. 1 Fried Dish Worldwide — Crispiness, Sauce Variety Praised
In the "100 Best Fried Dishes in the World" list released recently by food and travel guide Taste Atlas, Korean fried chicken took first place with a score of 4.4 out of 5.
The site cited the dish's crispy texture and wide range of sauces as its main appeal. It explained that the chicken is first cooked at a relatively low temperature and then fried again at a higher temperature to bring out the crispness of the coating.
It also highlighted the variety of flavors available, from a sweet and spicy sauce made with gochujang to soy-garlic and honey butter, allowing diners to pick according to taste. The custom of serving the chicken with pickled radish and coleslaw also drew attention.
"Chimaek," the practice of eating fried chicken with beer, was mentioned as another factor behind the dish's popularity. As the chicken-and-beer culture has spread beyond Korea's borders, it has fueled interest in Korean fried chicken, according to the site.
Second place went to batagor, an Indonesian street food in which fish-filled dumplings are fried and served with peanut sauce. Jalea, a Peruvian fried seafood dish, ranked third, and maakouda, a potato dish from North Africa, came fourth.
Also Tops Among Korean Foods, Ahead of Galbi and Tenderloin
Korean fried chicken also scored highest among Korean dishes, ranking first on Taste Atlas's "100 Best Korean Foods" list as of the 7th, local time.
Taste Atlas compiles its rankings based on ratings from general users and users with specialized knowledge. The site says it filters out bot-generated scores and ratings biased toward a particular country's cuisine. In this tally, 7,514 of 8,430 total ratings, or 89.1%, were counted as valid.
The site also described how Korean fried chicken took hold. Fried chicken was introduced through U.S. troops during the Korean War, sauce varieties expanded through franchises in the 1970s and 1980s, and the dish spread to overseas markets in the 21st century.
Second on the Korean food list was grilled beef short ribs marinated in a sauce of soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil and garlic. The entry also noted the dish's origins, citing accounts that King Jeongjo had a slaughterhouse operated to feed laborers building Hwaseong Fortress in the 18th century.
Tenderloin, in third, was described as a premium cut from the loin of the cow that is tender because the muscle sees little use, and commands a high price. Dakgalbi, which originated in Chuncheon, ranked fourth, and kimchi stew simmered with tofu and pork came fifth. Beef tartare, tuna gimbap, soy-marinated crab, stir-fried spicy pork and lettuce wraps rounded out the top 10.
Taste Atlas said the rankings are not meant to judge which of the world's foods are superior, but to introduce traditional dishes from each country and raise interest in a wider range of cuisines.
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