Korean Cold Noodles

Mul-naengmyeon 물냉면

Naengmyeon (Korean: 랭면 (North Korea), 냉면 (South Korea), also known as raengmyeon (in North Korea), naeng-myeon, naengmyun, ornaeng-myun, meaning "cold noodles") is a Korean noodle dish of long and thin handmade noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat (메밀, memil), potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot (darker color and chewier than buckwheat noodles), and kudzu (칡, chik). Varieties with ingredients such as seaweed and green tea are available. According to the 19th century documents of Dongguksesigi (동국세시기, 東國歲時記), it has been made since the Joseon Dynasty.

Originally a delicacy in northern Korea, especially in the cities of Pyongyang (평양, 平壤) and Hamhung (함흥, 咸興) in North Korea, raengmyeonbecame widely popular throughout Korea after the Korean War.

Naengmyeon is served in a large stainless-steel bowl with a tangy iced broth, julienned cucumbers, slices of Korean pear, and either a boiled egg or slices of cold boiled beef or both. Spicy mustard sauce (or Mustard oil) and vinegar are often added before consumption. Traditionally, the long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolized longevity of life and good health, but servers at restaurants usually ask if the noodles should be cut prior to eating, and use scissors to cut the noodles.

The two main varieties of naengmyeon are mul naengmyeon (물 냉면) and bibim naengmyeon (비빔 냉면). The former is served as a cold soup with the noodles contained in broth made from beef, chicken or dongchimi. The latter is served with a spicy dressing made primarily from gochujang (red chili paste) and eaten all mixed. In the case of bibim naengmyeon, a bowl of the soup broth used in mul naengmyeon or plain broth from the boiled noodles itself are often served on the side.

Mul naengmyeon originates from Pyongyang. Pyŏngyang naengmyŏn is mainly made from buckwheat and the broth of beef or pheasant. It also uses dongchimi broth or a mixture of it, while adding the sliced pieces of the radish to the dish. Vinegar, mustard oil (provided on request at most restaurants), and sugar is added according to taste before eating.

A version of bibim naengmyeon originates from Hamhung, the hoe naengmyeon (회 냉면). Hoe naengmyeon is bibim naengmyeon with additional marinated raw fish (hoe), usually skate. It is eaten with the spicy gochujang dressing and other ingredients all mixed. Vinegar, sugar, and sometimes sesame oil is added according to taste. The noodles of Hamhung naengmyeon are usually made from potato or sweet potato starch, so the noodles are very chewy in texture compared to those of Pyongyang naengmyeon.

Another variety of naengmyeon is yeolmu naengmyeon (열무 냉면) which is served with yeolmu kimchi.

Instant naengmyeon noodles are available, with the soup broth prepackaged with the noodles. A clear plastic package of mustard oil is often supplied.

In the South Korean variety show Infinite Challenge, Park Myeong-su and Jessica of Girls' Generation performed the song "Naengmyeon" which was named after the food. The song became a hit and received wide acclaim.

Ingredients:

½ package of buckwheat noodles
water
shiitake mushrooms
kelp
dried anchovies
mustard powder
cucumber
salt
sugar
vinegar
pear
egg
young summer radish kimchi

Directions:

A package of Korean buckwheat noodles usually comes with soup powder packet. If you want to make a quick broth, you can simply mix the soup powder with cold water. If you want to make homemade stock, this is how I do it.

Make stock for mul-naengmyeon:

1. Boil 8 cups of water with 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, a 4 inch piece of dried kelp, and 8-10 dried anchovies with the heads and the intestines removed for 20 minutes over hight heat.
2. Lower the heat to low and cook another 20 minutes. Cool it down and keep it in the refrigerator.

Prepare toppings:

1. Mustard paste (optional):Mix 1 tbs of mustard powder and ½ tbs water. Put it in a warm place to ferment it for 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cucumber:
   Slice ½ cup’s worth of cucumber into thin strips. Add a ½ pinch of salt, ½ ts of sugar, and ½ ts of vinegar. Mix it up and and set it aside.
3. Pear:Slice ½ cup’s worth into thin strips. You can use either Korean pear or bosc pear. Soak it in water and add ½ ts sugar so it doesn’t change color. Set it aside.
4. Egg:Hardboil an egg, cut it in half, and set it aside.

Make the noodles:

1. Put a half package of buckwheat noodles into a big pot of boiling water. Stir them with a wooden spoon so that the noodles don’t stick to each other. Keep boiling for about 3-5 minutes until cooked.
2. When the noodles are cooked, move the pot to the sink and pour cold water over them. Drain some of the water out and pour more cold water over them again. This will help the noodles get chewier.
3. Rinse and drain the noodles a couple of times until not slippery. Put the noodles into a basket or colander.

Put it all together:

1. For each serving you need to make, mix 2 cups of stock in a bowl with 2 ts vinegar, 1 ts salt, and 2 ts sugar. Add more vinegar to taste. Add 5-7 ice cubes to make it even colder.
2. Place noodles in a bowl and add the cold broth, cucumber, pear, mustard paste, and egg on top. Serve cold. If you have kimchi juice or young summer radish kimchi, add some to the noodle soup. It will taste even better!

That's it! Noodles is ready!~ 

Korean Traditional Noodle Soup

Sujebi 수제비

Sujebi or milgaru ddeudeo guk ([milɡaɾu t͈ɯːdʌɡuk], North Korea) is a Korean traditional soup consisting of dough flakes roughly torn by hand, with various vegetables. The flavor and recipe resemble kalguksu, except that the latter is made with noodles rather than wheat flakes. It is commonly considered a dish to consume on rainy days, along with bindaetteok.

The broth for sujebi is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish, and kelp. In order to obtain a rich, umami flavor, the ingredients should be simmered for many hours. Added to this broth are soft noodles and various vegetables or kimchi, most often zucchini and potatoes.

Korean people began to eat sujebi and guksu (국수 noodles), both dishes made of wheat flour, from the early Goryeo period (935~1392), but the namesujebi (earlier sujeop-eo) dates from the mid Joseon period. Sujeop-eo is a combined hanja word comprising the terms su (hanja: 手; hangul: 수; literally "hand") and jeop (hanja: 摺; hangul: 접어 or 접다; literally "folded" or "folding").

From the Joseon period, people started making various types of sujeobi according to various purposes. Sujebi is today considered a typical commoner's food, but in the past, it was relatively rare and used for special occasions especially janchi (잔치; feast, banquet) such as dol janchi (the celebration of a baby's first birthday).

In North Korea, sujebi is called milgaru ddeudeo guk (밀가루뜨더국), which is the words comprising three words: milgaru (밀가루; literally "wheat flour") + ddeudeo (뜯어; literally "tearing" or "torn") guk (국; literally "soup").

The names of sujebi vary according to regions in Korea.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour
½ teaspoon of  salt
1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
12 large dried anchovies, removed the heads and guts
Dried kelp (about 4 or 5 inches on each side)
1 stalk of green onion, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
½ cup of onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon of fish sauce
1 Tablespoon of soup soy sauce (If it’s not available, replace it with 1-2 teaspoons of salt according to your taste)
1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Water

Directions:

1. Combine  the flour, ¾ cup water, salt, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Knead by hand for 10-15 minutes until the dough gets softer and sticks together firmly.
2. Put the dough into a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator.
   Tip: Using a food processor is very convenient and saves time. If you use a food processor, use the dough blade and knead all the above ingredients for 1 minute until the dough sticks together and gets lumpy.
Let’s make stock:
1. Place 10 cups of water in a large pot. Add  dried kelp and  dried anchovies
2. Bring it to a boil for 20 minutes over medium high heat, then lower the heat to simmer for another 20 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off and take the anchovies and kelp out.
4. Add the potato, onion, and garlic to the pot and boil 10-15 minutes over medium high heat.
5. Cut the cooked kelp into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
6. Open the pot and add fish sauce, soup soy sauce (or salt), and the kelp strips.

Now it’s time to make noodles!

1. Put the dough in your left hand, and pull and stretch it with your right. Get it as thin as you can. Then tear it into bite sized pieces with your right. Drop it into the boiling soup. Repeat this until the dough runs out.
   Tip: If you make more than 4 servings’ worth, tearing the dough may take too long. So all family members should work together.
2. Close the lid and cook for a couple of minutes to let the noodles cook. The noodles will float on the surface when cooked properly.
3. Add the green onion and sesame oil
4. Transfer to a bowl and serve hot with kimchi.

Dae-bak! 대박!

Korea's Stir Fried Noodles

Stir Fried Noodles with Vegetables (Japchae) 잡채

Japchae, jabchae, chapchae, Chop Chae, or Chap Chae is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles (called dangmyeon, Korean: 당면),stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavored with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served either hot or cold. This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions, with seasonal vegetables added.

Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. It is often served on a bed of rice; together with rice it is known asjapchae-bap (잡채밥), bap (밥) meaning "rice".

The name, japchae, comprises the two hanja words; jap (hangul: 잡, hanja: 雜, literally "mixed and stirred") and chae (hangul: 채, hanja: 菜, literally "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means "a mixture of vegetables."

Ingredients:

Starch noodles (“dangmyun”)
150 grams of beef
1 bunch of spinach
1 medium size carrot
1 medium size onion
mushrooms (5 dried shiitake and 1 package of white mushrooms)
3 cloves of garlic
7-8 green onions
soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds

Directions:

How to prepare your ingredients before stir frying:

1. Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
2. Slice a package of white mushrooms (2 cups’ worth).
3. Cut a carrot into thin matchstick-shaped pieces 5 cm long.
4. Cut 7 -8 green onions into 7 cm long pieces.
5. Slice one onion thinly.
6. Slice 150 grams of beef into thin strips.

Now let’s start!

1. Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
2. Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside.
   Tip: Take one sample and taste it to see whether or not it’s cooked properly. If it feels soft, it’s finished.
3. In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces.
4. Add ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
   Tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don’t discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
5. On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don’t burn it!).
6. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
7. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
8. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
9. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it’s cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
10. Add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of sugar, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and 1 ts of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds on the top.
11. Serve with rice and Kimchi, or as a side dish.

Gandanhabnida 간단합니다 :D

Korean Ramen

Instant Noodles (Ramyeon) 라면

In Korea, instant noodle was first produced by Samyang Food in 1963 under technical assistance from Myojo Foods Co., Japan which provided manufacturing equipment. Its quick and easy preparation and cheap price made it quickly popular. In South Korea, instant noodles are more common than non-instant noodles; the word ramyeon (라면), generally means the instant kind. Most South Korean food stalls make instant ramyeon and add toppings for their customers.

Ramyeon is typically spicy. Shin Ramyun (신[辛], literally "spicy") is the best-selling brand in Korea. It has also become popular in China and the United States. The leading manufacturer of ramyeon in Korea is the Nong Shim ([農心], literally "Farmer Heart") company, which exports many of its products overseas.

In 2004, over 600,000 boxes of Shin brand Ramyeon were sent to North Korea as part of the aid relief program when Ryongchŏn train station exploded, injuring many North Korean civilians. However, insider sources state that most of it was sold in North Korean black markets, making its way to Pyongyang, instead of distributed as aid. North Korean visitors to China also frequently purchase South Korean ramyeon from Chinese stores, where Shin Ramyeon is known as "Korean Tangmi Ramyeon".

Indigenous production of Ramyeon in North Korea began in 2000. The first Ramyeon brand was "kkoburang guksu", which literally means curly noodles in Korean. Later, a joint venture by North Korean and Hong Kong-based companies began producing "jeukseok guksu" (즉석 국수), which literally means "instant noodles". Ramyeon are popular among North Korean elites who live in Pyongyang and Nampo. In contrast to hot and spicy South Korean Ramyeon, North Korean Ramyeon has a much milder and brothier flavor.

Ingredients:

1 package of Korean ramyeon
2½ cups water
1 egg
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the noodles and the included soup powder to the boiling water. Cover and boil for 1 minute.
3. Open the lid and turn the ramyeon over with a spoon.
4. Crack the egg directly into the boiling ramyeon, and cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t stir, so the egg will be poached.
5. Remove from the heat. Open the lid and add the green onions and the included package of dried vegetables. Serve with kimchi and rice.

Sikssareul jal meogeottta. 식사를 잘 먹었다. 

Korea's Black Bean Noodles

Jjajangmyeon 짜장면

Jjajangmyeon (짜장면), is a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced pork and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. Jjajang, the name of the sauce, is the Chinese pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means "fried sauce." Myeon (also spelled myun) means "noodle", which Chinese character is 面

The dish has been known in South Korea as jjajangmyeon (or chajangmyeon; 짜장면) since the first time the dish was imported to Korea. Even in current times, the vast majority of Korean Chinese restaurants use this Korean spelling.

However, according to Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words (외래어 표기법; 外來語 標記法), a manual under a regulation issued by South Korea's Ministry of Culture and Education (문화교육부; 文化敎育部) (currently the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (교육과학기술부; 敎育科學技術部)) in 1986, the Korean alphabetization of stop consonants (e.g. 짜; jja; Cha) should not use Korean fortis except for some established usages. According to this rule, the Korean alphabetization of the word '짜장면' is jjajangmyeon. As a result, the alphabetization of the dish in recent years has been jjajangmyeon in official government documents and the mainstream media.

However, there have been noticeable criticisms on the Korean alphabetization of this word. Those in favor of the alphabetization jjajangmyeon question if champon should really be called Jambong as per the official manual (the popular dish was allowed to be alphabetized jjambbong as an exception to the rule). According to the 95th episode of Korean food culture cartoon Sikgaek (식객; 食客), Ahn Dohyeon (안도현), the So-wol Prize winning Korean poet, announced that he would always write the dish's name as '짜장면,' not '자장면,' because the former is the name with which he associates all his childhood memories of the dish.

Also, in most old Korean dictionaries, the hanja for jjajangmyeon is "酢醬麵". The first hanja's Mandarin Chinese pronunciation is similar to 'ja', and the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the hanja "炸" is close to 'jja'.

On August 31, 2011, the National Institute of The Korean Language (국립국어원; 國立國語院) announced that jjajangmyeon (짜장면) has been accepted as an alternate standard spelling of the dish alongside the existing jajangmyeon (자장면) on August 22, 2011, and has been added to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전; 標準國語大辭典) with 38 other words, hoping to end the long-standing discrepancy between the commonly used spelling and the standard spelling.

The dish originated from zhajiangmian (炸醬麵, literally "fried sauce noodles") in China's Shandong region. The pronunciation of the dish's name is nearly identical to that of its Korean counterpart. But Korean jajangmyeon differs from Chinese zhajiangmian, as Korean jjajangmyeon uses black Korean chunjang including caramel, and onions. Although originally a Chinese dish, Koreans have taken the noodles and created a thicker, yummier version that holds only a vague resemblance to its Chinese predecessor. (Think of New Yorkers and the wonders they’ve done with pizza.)

It would not be an understatement to say Korean diets would not be the same without this dish -- most Koreans eat it at least once a week, and have their favorite jjajangmyeon delivery shop on speed dial. 

Ingredients:

jjajangmyeon noodles
½ pound pork belly, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1½ cups’ worth)
1 cup of Korean radish (or daikon), cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth)
1 cup of zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup of potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1½ cups of onion chunks
3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
¼ cup and 1 Tablespoon of black bean paste
2 Tablespoons of potato starch powder, combined with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
½ cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish
water

Directions:

Directions for making jjajang sauce:

1. Stir-fry the pork belly in a large, deep wok with 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
2. Pour out the excess pork fat.
3. Add radish and stir fry for 1 minute.
4. Add potato, onion, and zucchini and keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the potato looks a little translucent.
5. Clear a space in the center of the wok by pushing the ingredients to the edges.
6. Add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the center of the wok, then add ¼ cup of black bean paste and stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to fry it. Then mix everything in the wok and keep stirring.
7. Add  2 cups of water to the wok and let it cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
8. Open the lid and taste a sample of the radish and potato. If they’re fully cooked, stir in the starch water little by little. Keep stirring until it’s well mixed and thick.
9. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
10. Serve with noodles (jjajangmyeon) or steamed rice (jjajangbap).

Directions for making jjajangmyeon:

Noodles for jjajangmyeon can be found at Korean grocery stores. The noodles are thick and chewy.
1. Boil and drain the noodles. Rinse and strain in cold water.
2. Put one serving of noodles onto a serving plate and add the jjajangsauce over top. Garnish with cucumber strips and serve immediately with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Directions for making jjajangbap:

1. Make one serving of rice, and add the jjajang sauce over top.
2. Garnish with cucumber strips on top of the jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Jalmuggetsumnida. 잘 먹겠습니다