The dish, adapted from one brought by US soldiers after the Korean war, has sparked thousands of variations and sits at the forefront of the K-food wave
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nside a teaching kitchen south-east of Seoul, I coat a whole chicken – cut into eight parts – in batter and dip the pieces carefully into a bowl of powdered mix until covered in a light, fluffy layer.
A chef watches intently. “Don’t rub it,” he says. “Keep it delicate.”
The chicken, already brined in what I’m told is a secret marinade, goes into a fryer filled with an olive oil blend, heated to 170C. I slowly lower the pieces a third of the way, then drop them in away from myself to avoid splashing. I set a timer for 10 minutes.
