Disparate cultures diversify fried chicken

Fried chicken. The name evokes aromas of seasonings and savory meats. It might be a dish synonymous with fast food and humble beginnings, but for years, it has  provoked strong, gustatory emotions from people all over the world.

Southern Thai · Fried chicken from Jitlada on Sunset Boulevard is just one of the many exotic renditions of fried chicken Los Angeles has to offer. - Sophia Lee | Daily Trojan

In America specifically, fried chicken is most commonly associated with Southern soul food. Scottish immigrants first brought their love for fried chicken into America, but the cooking process was adapted and popularized by African-Americans during the plantation period who often had to somehow make do with meat scraps and leftover lard. Since frying was the cheapest and tastiest way to savor random chicken parts, African-Americans brought their own touch into the dish with non-Scottish seasonings and spices.

The meal is served in unique forms in other parts of the world, distinguished by the different spices and seasonings, the frying techniques, the accompanying dishes and the traditions that surround it.

Here is an extensive list of the different fried chicken available in Los Angeles:

Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles

Roscoe’s is an icon on its own — at least to many loyal Angelenos. Though the combination of fried chicken and syrup-soaked waffles has its origins on the East Coast, the delightful juxtaposition of breakfast carbs and scrap meat has generated a giant fan base on the West Coast as well.

At Roscoe’s, it’s not just about the juicy chicken meat or the butter-soaked waffles. It’s about the brilliant hedonism of fat and carbs dunked in rich gravy, with more butter, sweet jam and syrup drizzled all over.

Japanese karaage

Instead of wings and drumsticks, Japanese fried chicken, typically made from chicken thighs, is chopped into bite-size pieces. The meat is marinated in traditional Japanese ingredients, such as soy sauce and ginger, dusted in potato starch flour and dunked in oil. A citrus-y burst of lemon juice is always squeezed over the meat before eating, which might be what makes this Japanese fried chicken feel light instead of greasy.

Chicken karaage is served in numerous Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles, but one of the most notable eateries is Aburiya Toranoko, a Little Tokyo Japanese fusion tapas house. Aburiya prepares light, crunchy yet succulent morsels made from local jidori (a special type of free-range vegetarian poultry) chicken sprinkled with oroshi sesame seeds before being flash-fried.

Korean Fried Chicken

There are two things to expect with Korean fried chicken: pickles and delivery. Instead of blue cheese or gravy, a dish of pickled radish comes on the side to cleanse the palate. Korean fried chicken allures with its seasoning and its delightful, thin crust. The skin is a separate component in itself, a glistening, flavor-soaked yet non-greasy outer layer that preserves the natural juices of the encased flesh.

The secret of that unique crust is in the fry method: Korean-style fried chicken is fried in a way that renders out the fat in the skin so it tightens up into a paper-thin, ultra-crispy crust, cooled, then fried again to perfect golden smoothness. The chicken is dunked in sauce; if fried right, the sauce coats and clings to the skin. There is typically two flavor options: a mild, sweet garlic-soy glaze or a spicy, sticky red pepper saturation.

You can get Korean fried chicken at several places in Koreatown: Drunken Chicken (formerly Kyochon) and Bonchon, both on Sixth Street, are two popular choices among the Korean community.

Filipino fried chicken

Popular Filipino fried chicken can really be traced to one restaurant: Max’s of Manila, where a Filipino woman sold her cooking and business smarts to the American troops stationed in Quezon City, Philippines and wowed them with her fried chicken.

Similar to Korean-style fried chicken, Filipino fried chicken is cooked more than once to achieve an ethereal layer of crisp skin. The difference, however, is that the chicken is boiled or steamed lightly first, then fried twice. Though the cooking process is more laborious, the ingredients are minimal, usually consisting of whole chicken, coarse salt, pepper and oil.

Glendale is home to one of Max’s Restaurant’s several international franchises.

Thai fried chicken

Fried chicken is a popular street food in Thailand that appears in different forms depending on which area you visit, but one of the most famous is from Hat Yai in southern Thailand.

This Thai chicken is stubby, entirely dry and coarse to the touch without a drop of oil. Small chicken pieces are slathered in paste ground from garlic, coriander seeds and white pepper and marinated in fish sauce and sugar. The mixture is sprinkled liberally with fine, velvety rice flour and then double-fried. The first dip into the oil is almost simmered in low heat, and the second dip is a quick fry on high heat.

One of the best places to snack on this rendition of fried chicken is Jitlada on Sunset Boulevard, where plump, bone-in drumsticks are served on top of red-leaf lettuce and generously sprinkled with dangerously addictive fried garlic and shallots that taste remarkably like well-seasoned, crushed peanuts. A sweet and sour chili sauce is served on the side, but the basic salt-and-pepper seasoning is so perfect you barely need the sauce.

Sophia Lee is a junior majoring in print and digital journalism and East Asian languages and cultures. Her column “Cross Bites” runs Mondays.