Korean Cold Noodles | Morsels of Life

Korean Cold Noodles




Morsels of Life - Korean Cold Noodles





With the temperatures being as high as they are, why not eat some cold
noodles? Not only are these noodles quick, easy, and tasty, they're
(as the name would imply) cold! The materials and methods reflect what
I made, but you could certainly modify the recipe to suit your palate
and desires. I'm told by James that these noodles and sauce aren't authentic,
but my thinking is "if it tastes good, that's close enough!"


Traditional Korean cold noodles, or naengmyeon, are made from
long, thin noodles, usually buckwheat, but potentially potatoes, sweet
potatoes, arrowroot, or kudzu. Sometimes they even add things like
green tea or seaweed! Korean cold noodles originated from
North Korea, especially around Pyongyang and Hamhung, but it became
popular throughout Korea after the Korean War.


Naengmyeon can be divided into two categories - mul
naengmyeon
and bibim naengmyeon. Mul naengmyeon is
served in a cold soup, and bibim naengmyeon (the kind I made)
is mixed with a sauce and then eaten (like spaghetti). Traditionally,
it's made with a very spicy sauce using gochujang. I was originally going
to add it at the end so each person could use only as much as they
wanted, but then James said Korean cold noodles aren't spicy, so I
didn't end up using any - or maybe I'm just a pansy. . . who knows?







Korean Cold Noodles
by


(printable version)



A new, light, and refreshing take on Korean cold noodles flavored with
a sweet sesame sauce.




Prep time:


7 minutes






Cook time:


8 minutes



Total time:

15 minutes + cooling time





Yield:

4
servings



Materials:




  • 8 ounces


    noodles
    (Buckwheat is traditional.)



  • 2 tablespoons


    gochujang
    (optional)



  • 2 tablespoons


    vinegar
    (Rice vinegar is traditional.)



  • 1 tablespoon


    soy sauce




  • 1 tablespoon


    honey




  • 1 tablespoon


    brown sugar




  • 1 tablespoon


    sesame oil




  • 1 tablespoon


    sesame seeds
    , toasted


Optional Toppings:





  • Asian pear
    , thick julienne



  • cucumbers
    , thick julienne



  • carrots
    , thick julienne



  • green onions
    , sliced



  • hard boiled eggs
    , sliced



  • perilla (sesame) leaves
    , thinly sliced



  • kim chi




Methods:



  1. Cook noodles following package directions.


  2. Meanwhile, mix gochujang, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown
    sugar, and sesame oil together, and set aside.


  3. Once noodles are finished cooking, drain and rinse with cold water.



  4. Toss noodles with sauce, and refrigerate until ready to eat.


  5. Serve, and then top with toppings.




This post is linked to: Recipe Sharing Monday

4 comments:

  1. I love cold noodles in the summer - these look great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Morsels of LifeAugust 22, 2011

    >Hi April - I like cold foods in summer too! Makes it seem not as sweltering. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. >Happy Monday! I wanted to thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at Recipe Sharing Monday. The new party is now up and I'd love for you to link up again :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Morsels of LifeAugust 29, 2011

    >@Ali - Glad to share! I linked up today with some Green Mung Bean Soup - hope you enjoy. :)

    ReplyDelete