Korean-style serving of Ganjjajang

간짜장 · Ganjjajang

Ganjjajang

간짜장

What exactly is it?

This jjajang variation uses a concentrated stir-fry of chunjang, onion and pork with little added water. Sauce often arrives separately from the noodles. It is less pourable and more onion-textured than ordinary jjajang; a fried egg is a restaurant variation.

Main ingredients

Wheat noodles, chunjang (dark fermented paste), pork, onion, cooking oil

Ordering and serving

Pour the separate sauce over the noodles and mix, loosening clumped strands with a little sauce first. The use of chunjang and pork means it is not automatically a dietary alternative to ordinary jjajang.

Origins and changes

It is a Korean-Chinese variation defined by a drier preparation of jjajang sauce. Serving the concentrated stir-fry separately lets diners combine it with the noodles. The name does not mean a soy-sauce version of jjajang.

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Ganjjajang

간짜장

Main ingredients
Wheat noodles, chunjang (dark fermented paste), pork, onion, cooking oil
Flavor and character
This jjajang variation uses a concentrated stir-fry of chunjang, onion and pork with little added water. Sauce often arrives separately from the noodles. It is less pourable and more onion-textured than ordinary jjajang; a fried egg is a restaurant variation.
How to eat it
Pour the separate sauce over the noodles and mix, loosening clumped strands with a little sauce first. The use of chunjang and pork means it is not automatically a dietary alternative to ordinary jjajang.
Read about this dish →

Jjajangmyeon

짜장면

Main ingredients
Wheat noodles, chunjang (dark fermented paste), pork, onion, cabbage or zucchini, starch
Flavor and character
Thick wheat noodles are mixed with a dark chunjang sauce containing stir-fried onion and pork. It is savory and sweet rather than usually chili-hot. The black color comes from the bean-paste-based sauce, not squid ink.
How to eat it
Mix the sauce through the noodles; pickled radish and raw onion often come alongside. Pork is common even when vegetables dominate the sauce. Gopbaegi, written 곱빼기, requests a larger noodle portion.
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