buldak
{{Short description|Korean barbecued chicken dish}}
{{Italic title}}
{{about|the chicken dish|the instant noodles|Buldak Ramen}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Buldak
| image = Korean barbeque-Buldak-01.jpg
| alternate_name = Fire chicken
| country = South Korea
| region =
| national_cuisine = South Korean cuisine
| creator =
| year = 2001
| mintime =
| maxtime =
| type =
| course =
| served = Hot
| main_ingredient = Chicken
| minor_ingredient =
| variations =
| serving_size = 100 g
| calories =
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| module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
| hangul = 불닭
| ipa = {{ipa|pul.dak̚}}
|child=yes
}}
}}
Buldak ({{Korean|hangul=불닭|lit=fire chicken}}) is a South Korean spicy barbecued chicken dish.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/eat/search-spiciest-dish-korea-245114|title=Don't say we didn't warn you: Korea's 5 spiciest dishes|last=Lee|first=Jiyeon|date=29 May 2012|work=CNN|access-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531221427/http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/eat/search-spiciest-dish-korea-245114|archive-date=31 May 2012|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/korea-spicy-dishes/index.html|title=7 Korean dishes that are super spicy -- and tips for eating them|last=Lee|first=Jiyeon|date=31 August 2015|work=CNN|access-date=2 June 2017|last2=Han|first2=Sol}}
History
Buldak became popular in South Korea during 2004, primarily for its extreme pungency. Several sources theorize the economic downturn at the time caused people to seek out spicy food as a stress reliever.{{Cite news|url=http://weekly.khan.co.kr/khnm.html?www&mode=view&art_id=7770|title=매운 맛을 보여다오.|last=황|first=인원|date=29 July 2004|work=Kyunghyang Shinmun|access-date=19 April 2017|language=ko}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2004100701014330026006|script-title=ko:입안이 '화끈화끈' 홍초불닭|last=정|first=충신|date=7 October 2004|work=Munhwa Ilbo|access-date=19 April 2017|language=ko}} The rise in popularity of buldak set the trend for extremely hot dishes in South Korea, which led to the rise of buldak franchise restaurants. However, the name buldak was registered at a patent office in April 2001 by Buwon Food, who claimed copyright to the name. This led to strong opposition from Hongcho Buldak and other leading buldak restaurants, who claimed that the term had been used as a common noun.{{Cite news|url=http://news.hankyung.com/industry/2007/01/24/2007012487551|script-title=ko:'홍초불닭' 상표 못쓴다...대법원 "부원식품 '불닭' 상표와 유사"|last=임|first=도원|date=24 January 2007|work=Korea Economic Daily|access-date=2 June 2017|language=ko}} On 30 April 2008, the Patent Court of Korea agreed that term was generalized and buldak became free for public use.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/285128.html#csidx1164924bbfb4e5ca32b5b7686b614e4|script-title=ko:'불닭' 상표권 등록 안돼|last=송|first=인걸|date=1 May 2008|work=The Hankyoreh|access-date=2 June 2017|language=ko}} Although the popularity of buldak has declined in recent years in South Korea, the dish has led to the development of other successful dishes inspired by it, such as buldak-flavored instant noodles by Samyang Food.{{Cite news|url=http://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?sc=30800021&year=2016&no=828248|title=Korean instant noodles hot in overseas as ramen challenge goes viral|last=Jeon|first=Ji-hyun|date=29 November 2016|work=Maeil Business Newspaper|access-date=2 June 2017|last2=Baek|first2=Sang-kyung}}
The Buldak Ramen is what gave rise to the brand itself. All flavors of the ramen include Carbonara, Hot Chicken, Habanero Lime, Kimchi, Jjajang, Quattro Cheese, 2x Spicy, Cheese, Curry, Tomato Pasta, and Corn.{{cite web |last1=Myrick |first1=Jordan |title=Every Flavor of Buldak Noodles, Ranked |url=https://sporked.com/article/every-flavor-of-buldak-noodles-ranked/ |website=sporked.com |publisher=Sporked}}
Preparation and serving
Buldak refers to the concept of Korean spicy chicken, not a specific food or dish. It usually can be grilled or deep-fried using bite-sized chicken pieces, and is served with a spicy sauce usually including gochugaru (chili powder), gochujang (chili paste), soy sauce, jocheong (starch syrup), garlic, and ginger. Chili powder made from Cheongyang chili pepper is preferred as it is spicier than regular chili powder used in Korean recipes. Sliced garae-tteok (rice cakes) and melted cheese are common additions to the dish. Mild side dishes such as gyeran-jjim (steamed eggs) or boiled nurungji (scorched rice) are often served with buldak to help counteract the spiciness. The dish is usually accompanied with an alcoholic beverage such as beer.
See also
{{Cookbook}}
{{Portal|Korea|Food}}