Culture — Entry No. 0756
닭갈비
dakgalbi · noun
닭갈비
dakgalbi
[DAK-gal-bi]
nounbeginner
Meaning
Dakgalbi (닭갈비) is a popular Korean dish of spicy marinated chicken stir-fried on a large flat iron griddle with gochujang paste, cabbage, sweet potato, tteok (rice cakes), and scallions. Despite the name meaning ‘chicken ribs,’ the dish is boneless — the name comes from its origin as a cheap alternative to pork galbi.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Chuncheon in Gangwon Province is the spiritual home of dakgalbi, with an entire alley (닭갈비 골목) lined with restaurants. The cheese variation — melted mozzarella poured over the finished dish — became a social media phenomenon, and TWICE members, particularly Sana and Tzuyu, have named it among their favorite Korean comfort foods in fan vlives.
Example Sentences
닭갈비 진짜 맛있어!
dakgalbi jinjja massisseo!
‘Dakgalbi is so delicious!’ — the universal first reaction after trying it
오늘 저녁에 닭갈비 먹을까?
oneul jeonyeoge dakgalbi meogeulkka?
‘Shall we eat dakgalbi tonight?’ — planning a casual dinner date, K-Drama style
치즈 닭갈비 진짜 좋아해.
chijeu dakgalbi jinjja johahae.
‘I really love cheese dakgalbi.’ — the cheese variant that went viral on Instagram and TikTok
⚠️ Don’t use dakgalbi when…
Dakgalbi is genuinely spicy — ask for 덜 맵게 (deol maepge, ‘less spicy’) if your tolerance is low. Also, the 갈비 in the name does not mean the dish contains ribs or bones; this trips up beginners expecting something like beef galbi (갈비).
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (김비서가 왜 그럴까) — a dakgalbi restaurant serves as the casual date venue where Lee Young-joon finally drops his formal facade with Kim Mi-so
- K-Pop: TWICE — Sana has mentioned dakgalbi as her top Korean comfort food in multiple Vlive broadcasts and fan sign events
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.