One Nation's Obsession with Chicken

Pizza or Chicken? The debate raged each time my suite mates wanted to order food to be delivered. Most of the time chicken beat out pizza. We weren't the only suite in Global Village that ordered chicken regularly. But does chicken delivery an obsession make? No. I mean look at us, we eat fried chicken in the USA. We have even been known to eat it out of a bucket... but over time it became very clear to me that South Korea's relationship with chicken may not be as innocent as I had initially thought.

One of my first clues was the chicken statue I found in Seoul near the beginning of the semester... We have weird statues in the USA too (Bob's Big Boy anyone?) so I wrote it off. I was naive... I had not yet endured four months of variations on fried chicken.

After numerous "Room Parties" spent sitting on the floor of my living room eating chicken with disposable chopsticks and drinking beer out of Dixie cups, I was already aware of the addiction (obsession, really) that South Koreans seem to have for chicken. Near the end of my time in Korea, I found the clearest evidence there was... an entire museum dedicated to CHICKEN ART. I laughed out loud, knowing that my theory had been proven, and had to take this picture to share with everyone.

Those in glass houses should not throw stones. As I was judgementally pondering the South Korean love affair with chicken, I thought back to my own childhood and summer afternoons at Jack Murphy Stadium watching the Padres games. Those of you who are local San Diegans and getting older, like me, will remember the World Famous San Diego Chicken. I have to admit that I (along with an entire city) had my very own love affair with a chicken. My new theory is that the deep and enduring love of poultry is universal... and knows no geographic bounds.

Chicken anyone?