Noodle Dishes

Noodle lovers will feel right at home in Korea. The country has many noodle shops, selling products which are as good as any noodles in the world. Korean noodles are made from either buckwheat or regular wheat flour. The most prized are the thin, brownish ,buckwheat noodles which are served in soups based on beef, poultry, or anchovy stock.

Naengmyeon(냉면)
This noodle dish is perfect for the hottest days of summer. naengmyeon is easy to digest and cooling to eat. A dough made from buckwheat and potato flour is cut into slender noodles and boiled while very fresh. The strained noodles are added to a chilled broth made of chicken stock or water from dong chimi (winter white water kimchi). It is garnished with sliced beef or pork, a boiled half egg, slices of of Asian pear, sliced sour kimchi, and sliced cucumber. Sometimes sauce can be added, which is made of pepper paste, pepper powder, soy sauce, chopped onions, garlic, and vinegar.

Japchae(잡채)
This dish is very common at Korean celebration parties and special occassions. Japchae is a well-loved Korean dish which incorporates virtually any selection of vegetables. Those in season have the best flavor. Vegetables are fried seperately in a minimal amount of oil. Other ingredients can include match stick-sliced beef and vermicelli noodles (made from potatoes and sweet potatoes). When each ingredient has been fried and the noodles cooked and cut into short lengths, all the ingredients are combined, sauteed quickly, and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.

Jjajangmyeon(짜장면)
Jjajangmyeon is a Korean dish, which consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced meat and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. It uses thick noodles made from white wheat flour. Jjajangmyeon is known as an inexpensive noodle dish that can be delivered for free in many places around South Korea. It costs around 4,000 won (approximately US$4.00).