Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cynical Optimist]

In the last month or so I've been getting chicken from the supermarket that looks okay and smells okay raw, but then when I start frying it up in a little bit of olive oil it starts to smell strange and a bit stinky. Not terrible, but definitely noticeable.

It's skinless brea$ts. (mods! wtf? can't say brea$ts?! what are we, 5?) The dates on the package are totally fine. It's stuff that the butcher cuts and packs in Styrofoam and cellophane.

Anyone know what this is about? Is the chicken bad? I don't always notice the smell -- it happens with maybe 50% of the chicken I get there.

I'm not the most knowledgeable about food prep -- and I'm slightly paranoid about ye ol' chicken influenza.

[princess]

I don't know, but I have noticed the same thing, even when they are raw. I made some chicken fajitas the other night and I didn't get sick, so I guess they were OK, or I just have an iron stomach. Maybe a combo.

[darkhorse_NZ]

yes, the chicken in Korea definitely smells different from the stuff in New Zealand aswell, Before and during cooking. however I haven't ever gotten sick off it and to my mouth it feels a lot more tender than the stuff back home. Maybe, it's a different breed than we're used to in the West or the feed is different here.

But if not's giving you the trots, then cook it up!

[VanIslander]

Love the chicken here.

These days I buy a whole chicken and cook it myself at home

but my first couple of years I was entranced by the smell and taste of rotisserie chicken



gawd some of the late night fumes of it have led to feasts of crying beauty... sooooo gooooood when you've got the post-soju munchies

[tigerbluekitty]

Different places, different chickens.

Maybe you should shop somewhere else for chicken next time. Chicken isn't supposed to smell funny. Maybe Korea just doesn't have good chicken, or the chicken you bought at the store was well past its shelf life.

[wings]

AS far as I know the really nasty stuff (salmonella) doesn't give chicken a bad smell anyway, so try running your finger along the raw meat, if it's sticky don't eat it.

[Samantha]

It might also be because some of the western chickens or in the States at least....is dowsed in a sulfer powder (while living to kill bacteria) and I think given hormones in the food (I'm not positive on both of these, but it's what is coming to mind from news reports and lectures). That may cause the American chicken to smell/taste different.

Personally I don't buy any meat if it isn't from one of the larger stores Emart, HomePlus, LotteMart and not pre-packaged, or at least in the cold cases. If it's in a bin- exposed to the air where any yahoo can walk by, touch, breathe, sneeze, cough or other wise over I won't eat it. I absolutely refuse to by meat from the little butcher shops or the ajummas at the markets.

Also if the chicken is yellow, it doesn't jiggle like human brea$ts, or the fat is hard...don't touch it means it's going bad.

[seoulshock]

[jimmiethefish]

Several times, I've had a packet of chicken breasts (from different supermarkets) and some have not smelled while some did. I found the smelly stuff doesn't keep at all while non smelly is ok for the next day or so. It seems to be on the turn and probably would already have been ditched at home. I've never come across this with the whole baby chicken which I used to get a lot for soups and to rotisserie.

[Cynical Optimist]

Thanks for the replies. I've eaten it a few times now despite the smell and so far so good. (knock, knock ) I don't have a big store like Emart in my town, but I will try a different supermarket. I definitely don't buy anything that LOOKS if-y at all.

[Samantha]