Naengmyun

Summer is literally just around the corner and the weather is beginning to get warmer! And what does summer and hot weather mean? Vacation! And what does vacation mean? Relaxing and eating delicious food that will help cool you off in the heat!

This dish that I am going to introduce is not ice cream or the shik-hye slushie. They’re noodles. Yes, noodles again. But, these are cold noodles! I understand it’s not THAT exciting, but when was the last time you had something similar to cold noodles other than the left over pasta that you put in the refrigerator? No offense.

Cold noodles, or naengmyun, are the signature noodle dish to eat during the hot summer weather. It is enjoyed by adults and children alike and is a great way to beat the heat. As you can already tell, it is served with a cold broth.

The noodles are long, thin, and quite chewy. They’re made out of flour and starch. The starch is made out of various ingredients, but usually includes buckwheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Naengmyun comes in so many different shapes and forms and are made in numerous ways with an endless combination of ingredients. These cold noodles come from different parts of Korea and have their own signature look and taste. But, the most common one, pictured above, is the mool naengmyun, which literally translates to cold water noodles.

The broth for these cold noodles is made from beef. But, nowadays, there are other substitutes, such as chicken or Korean radish for vegetarians. I can’t quite explain the taste of the broth. It is somewhat beefy and sweet, but a bit bitter and salty and sour all at the same time. It’s quite an odd taste and I may have discouraged some people from trying this dish just now. The broth is funky, I would have to say. But, people add some vinegar and/or mustard to give the broth to give it a deeper taste. Some people add lots of vinegar or mustard or both. I like to add a few drops of vinegar and about half a spoon of mustard to deepen the taste and a bit of spiciness to the broth. The noodles are placed in the broth in a little ball form and a few slices of beef, cucumbers, some Korean radish, and half a boiled egg are placed on top of the noodles as some finishing touches.

This is one of the best dishes to eat during the summer. It’s tasty, funky, and fun to eat. My family go out and eat this dish all the time when it is the summer. Again, like I said before, there are many different forms of cold noodles. So, you have an endless list of choices. This bowl of naengmyun was eaten at Town Noodle in the Koreatown Plaza for $6.53 (including tax). So, if you’re still interested in trying some cold noodles after my odd description of the broth, then go out and try these noodles. Enjoy!