Historic chicken dish sparks revival hopes in Andong as city hosts Korea-Japan summit

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday could make Korean chicken even more famous — but not the crispy, fried one this time.

After their afternoon summit talks, the two leaders are set to dine together, with jeongyea as the main course.

Jeongyea is a dish prepared by sautéing a young chicken with yams, carrots and scallions in sesame oil until golden, then braising it in a savory soy sauce mixture. Today’s Andong jjimdak, a popular soy-braised chicken dish that can be served spicy or sweet, is believed to have evolved from jeongyea.

The dish was reserved for honored guests in aristocratic households and traditionally eaten to restore stamina and appetite in summer, especially in the inland region. 

Its recipe is believed to have originated during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and is recorded in the " Suunjapbang," Korea’s oldest surviving cookbook. The text is believed to have been written between the 16th and mid-17th century. 

Takaichi will become the first foreign leader to be served a main dish drawn from a Joseon-era culinary text at an official summit dinner.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi arrived in Korea on Tuesday afternoon and is set to stay for two days. Her visit to Andong,  North Gyeongsang, is a continuation of bilateral "shuttle diplomacy," as the frequent summits between the two neighboring nations are called. During Tuesday's summit, Lee and Takaichi are expected to discuss ways to further deepen bilateral relations and coordinate measures to address the ramifications of the Iran war as partners in the Indo-Pacific. 

Jeongyea also reflects Korea's customary courtesy toward foreign guests. As the dish predates the arrival of chili peppers on the Korean Peninsula, it delivers a mild, more restrained flavor, which is expected to suit the Japanese prime minister's tastes better.

The banquet will be prepared jointly by Kim Do-eun, who oversees Rakkojae Hanok Hotel’s “Suunjabbang Heritage Dining” program, and the Westin Josun Seoul's culinary team. Together, they are expected to blend the rich depth of traditional Korean flavors with contemporary haute cuisine techniques.

Alongside jeongyea, guests will be served grilled Andong hanwoo (Korean beef) short ribs and sinseollo, a traditional hot pot filled with vegetables and seafood, symbolizing harmony and exchange.

Dessert will bring together Korean jeonyak (jelly) and Japanese mochi on a single plate. The drinks menu will feature Andong’s traditional liquors, taesaju and Andong soju, alongside sake from Nara Prefecture, the hometown of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi.

In Andong, interest in Tuesday’s dinner stretches far beyond the world of diplomacy.

In the famed alley in the city's old market, where eateries selling jjimdak are clustered, merchants are hopeful that the dinner will spark worldwide curiosity about their local specialty.

Local jjimdak establishments have suffered since deadly wildfires tore through the North Gyeongsang region in March last year, depressing tourism.

“After the fires last year, there were hardly any customers, even on weekends,” said Lim, a 59-year-old jjimdak restaurant owner in the market.

Ahead of the summit, merchants’ optimism has grown. Their hopes are not unfounded, as Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, saw renewed popular interest after Chinese President Xi Jinping praised its local specialty, Hwangnam bread, a small pastry filled with red bean paste, while visiting the city for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in October of last year. 

President Lee’s visit to Andong's old market on Monday, a day before the summit, also heightened hopes that the city could rebound and become a center of culinary trends.

“Things were finally beginning to recover," Lim said. "Now the president has visited, and a chicken dish from Andong will be served at the summit dinner. It is uplifting news for people here.” 

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]