Buckwheat Noodles

NAENG-MYUN
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Naeng myun literally means cold noodles and it is one of Koreans favorite dishes during the summer. It consists of thin noodles typically made from arrowroot or buckwheat flour, and is served in a large bowl with a tangy iced broth. It is garnished with sliced beef or pork, a boiled half egg, slices of Asian pear, and sliced cucumber, sprinkled with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

Two main varieties of naeng myuns exists: mul naeng myun and bibim naeng myun. The former variety is served as a cold soup with the noodles contained in broth (usually beef). The latter variety is served as more of a salad in a spicy dressing made primarily from gochujang which is red chili pepper paste. Although these are the two major variations of this dish, several others do exist, typically varying either in the composition of the broth, meat or vegetables. Also, traditionally, the broth for naeng myun is made with about ⅓ beef broth, ⅓ chicken broth, and ⅓ kimchi brine. But because few people have easy access to all three components, most Koreans use just beef broth or chicken broth.

Since naeng myun is a cold dish as indicated by its name, you would think that it is popular mainly during the summer, but many people enjoy it during the winter as well. There are many restaurants that specialize only in this dish so be sure to try the mild mul naeng myun before sampling the spicier bibim naeng myun.