Naengmyeon, a traditional Korean dish, features cold noodles in chilled broth. Historical texts confirm its enjoyment since the Joseon Dynasty. Noodles are often made from buckwheat flour mixed with starch, with regional variations like Pyongyang and Hamheung styles. Toppings include beef, cucumber, pear, and boiled egg, served in a broth of meat or dongchimi. Varieties like Pyongyang Naengmyeon have distinct ingredients and flavors. The dish, once a winter delicacy, is now popular in summer for its refreshing taste. Mul Naengmyeon uses broth, while Bibim Naengmyeon is served with a sauce. Regional varieties include Pyongyang, Hamheung, Jinju, and others.
Naengmyeon (냉면) is a traditional Korean dish featuring cold noodles in chilled broth. Historical texts like Dongguk Sesigi (동국세시기), Jinchan Uigwe (진찬의궤), Gyugon Yoram (규곤요람), Siui Jeonseo (시의전서), and Buin Pilji (부인필지) suggest that Naengmyeon has been enjoyed since the Joseon Dynasty. It remains popular today.
Naengmyeon noodles are typically made from buckwheat flour mixed with some starch, a tradition originating in Korea’s northern regions where buckwheat is abundant. After the Korean War (6·25 전쟁), Naengmyeon spread throughout the country, becoming one of Korea’s signature dishes.
The preparation of Naengmyeon varies by region, but generally, the noodles are made from buckwheat flour and starch, topped with garnishes like sliced beef, cucumber, pear, boiled egg, and then served in a cold broth. The broth can be made from beef, pheasant, or chicken, or even from cold kimchi or dongchimi (동치미) (radish water kimchi) broth. Often, a mixture of dongchimi broth and meat broth is used. Vinegar, mustard, and sugar are added to taste when serving.
Regional variations of Naengmyeon include Pyongyang Naengmyeon, Hamhung Naengmyeon, and Jinju Naengmyeon, each with unique characteristics.
Pyongyang Naengmyeon (평양냉면): Made with buckwheat noodles, this version features a broth of pheasant and dongchimi, topped with pork belly, radish kimchi, pear, boiled egg, pine nuts, thin chili strips, mustard, and vinegar.
Hamhung Naengmyeon (함흥냉면): From the Hamgyong region, these noodles are made from potato starch, resulting in chewier noodles. They are typically served with spicy raw fish (like skate or flatfish) mixed with gochujang (고추장) (red chili paste).
Jinju Naengmyeon (진주냉면): Made entirely from buckwheat, these noodles are served with beef broth. Garnishes include egg strips, beef slices, stir-fried beef, pear, and thin chili strips. Unlike other varieties, Jinju Naengmyeon does not use pork.
Traditionally a winter delicacy, Naengmyeon was once highly recommended as a winter dish in the Dongguk Sesigi. However, it is now more commonly enjoyed in the summer for its refreshing qualities.
Different Types of Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon can be classified into two types based on whether it uses broth: mul naengmyeon (물냉면) and bibim naengmyeon (비빔냉면).
- Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면): This type of naengmyeon is served in a broth made from either meat or dongchimi (동치미), a type of radish water kimchi. It’s topped with various condiments like mustard and vinegar before eating. If it’s made with broth from pheasant meat, it’s called “kkoong naengmyeon” (꿩냉면).
- Bibim Naengmyeon (비빔냉면): This variation doesn’t use broth but instead is mixed with a sauce made from various seasonings.
Additionally, naengmyeon can be further categorized based on the type of noodles used:
- Memil Naengmyeon (메밀냉면): Made with buckwheat flour noodles, this is the traditional type of naengmyeon. Examples include Pyongyang naengmyeon (평양냉면), Haeju naengmyeon (해주냉면), and Jinju naengmyeon (진주냉면). If the noodles are made from roughly ground buckwheat flour without removing the outer shell, it’s called “makguksu” (막국수).
- Nokmal Naengmyeon (녹말냉면): This type uses noodles made from starch powder. The representative dish is the Nongma noodles (농마국수) from the Gwanbuk region, made with potato starch. If it’s made with arrowroot starch, it’s called “chik naengmyeon” (칡냉면).
- Mil Naengmyeon (밀냉면): These noodles are made from wheat flour. Busan’s milmyeon (밀면) is a famous example. Other variations include cold banquet noodles (냉잔치국수) and kimchi maliguksoo (김치말이국수).
Furthermore, there are other types of naengmyeon classified based on the toppings or ingredients used, such as yeolmu naengmyeon (열무냉면), hoe naengmyeon (회냉면), and codari naengmyeon (코다리냉면).
Regional Varieties of Naengmyeon
- Pyongyang Naengmyeon (평양냉면): Naengmyeon from the Pyongyang region.
- Haeju Naengmyeon (해주냉면): Naengmyeon from the Haeju region in Hwanghae Province.
- Ganggye Naengmyeon (강계냉면): Naengmyeon from the Ganggye region in Jagang Province.
- Jinju Naengmyeon (진주냉면): Naengmyeon from the Jinju region in Gyeongsangnam Province.
- Hamheung Naengmyeon (함흥냉면): Naengmyeon from the Hamhung region in Hamgyong Province. In the Hamhung area, it’s also called “hoeguksu” (회국수) or “nongmaguksu” (농마국수).
Recipe for Naengmyeon:
Naengmyeon not only tastes delicious but also offers health benefits. These benefits are found primarily in the noodles made from buckwheat flour. In one of Korea’s representative medical texts, “Donguibogam” (동의보감), it’s mentioned that “buckwheat strengthens the stomach and aids in restoring energy” and “it helps dissolve various impurities accumulated in the intestines.” Additionally, the broth of dongchimi (동치미), a type of water-based kimchi, aids in digestion due to the digestive properties of radishes, a key ingredient in dongchimi.
Naengmyeon is broadly classified into two types based on the region of origin: Pyongyang Naengmyeon, which features noodles served in a beef broth, and Hamheung Naengmyeon, where noodles made from sweet potatoes or potatoes are mixed with spicy seasoning. Hamheung Naengmyeon is known for its chewier and firmer noodles compared to Pyongyang Naengmyeon.
Ingredients:
- 360g dried naengmyeon noodles
- 3kg (15 cups) water for boiling
- 300g beef brisket
- 2.2kg (11 cups) water for boiling the beef
- Aromatic vegetables: 20g green onions, 20g garlic
- Seasoning sauce: 9g soy sauce, 24g salt, 24g sugar, 45g vinegar, 6.5g prepared mustard
- 50g cucumber, 1g salt
- 100g Korean radish, 1g salt, 2g sugar
- 1.1g fine red chili powder, 15g vinegar
- 100g (1/5) Asian pear, 100g water, 4g sugar
- 120g (2) eggs, 1kg (5 cups) water for boiling the eggs, 4g salt
Preparation:
- Remove any excess blood from the beef and clean the aromatic vegetables.
- In a pot, add the beef and water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the aromatic vegetables and continue simmering over low heat for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the beef, let it cool, then slice it into pieces about 4cm long, 2cm wide, and 0.2cm thick (80g). Strain the broth through a sieve into a bowl and add the seasoning sauce.
- Rub the cucumber with salt, rinse it well, then cut it into thin slices about 0.2cm thick and soak it in salted water for 20 minutes.
- Clean and cut the Korean radish into pieces about 5cm long, 1.5cm wide, and 0.2cm thick. Mix it with salt, sugar, fine red chili powder, and vinegar, then let it marinate for 20 minutes. Peel the Asian pear, cut it into slices about 0.2cm thick, and soak it in sugar water.
Cooking Instructions:
- In a pot, add the eggs, water, and salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and boil for about 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to water, peel them, then cut them in half lengthwise.
- In another pot, bring water to a boil over high heat, add the naengmyeon noodles, and cook for about 2 minutes. Rinse the noodles in cold water, drain them, and place them in serving bowls.
- Arrange the sliced beef, cucumber, Korean radish, Asian pear, boiled eggs, and pine nuts on top of the noodles. Pour the chilled broth over the noodles and serve.