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Korean-style serving of Jjolmyeon

쫄면 · Jjolmyeon

Jjolmyeon

쫄면

What exactly is it?

Thick, very springy noodles are dressed with sweet-tart chili sauce and crisp cabbage, bean sprouts and cucumber. The cooked noodles are chilled before mixing. Chewiness, acidity and chili heat are all prominent.

Main ingredients

Springy wheat-and-starch noodles, gochujang-vinegar dressing, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, egg

Ordering and serving

Mix the vegetables and noodles thoroughly from the bottom. Cut the springy strands if helpful. Request less sauce when ordering, since heat is harder to adjust after the dish is dressed.

Origins and changes

Accounts trace it to thick noodles made by an Incheon noodle producer in the 1970s and adopted by snack shops. Both an accidental extrusion story and a deliberate-development story survive; the accident should not be treated as settled fact.

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Jjolmyeon

쫄면

Main ingredients
Springy wheat-and-starch noodles, gochujang-vinegar dressing, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, egg
Flavor and character
Thick, very springy noodles are dressed with sweet-tart chili sauce and crisp cabbage, bean sprouts and cucumber. The cooked noodles are chilled before mixing. Chewiness, acidity and chili heat are all prominent.
How to eat it
Mix the vegetables and noodles thoroughly from the bottom. Cut the springy strands if helpful. Request less sauce when ordering, since heat is harder to adjust after the dish is dressed.
Read about this dish →

Spicy mixed noodles

비빔국수

Main ingredients
Thin wheat noodles, gochujang, vinegar, sugar, cucumber, sometimes kimchi or egg
Flavor and character
Cooked, rinsed wheat noodles are tossed in sweet-tart chili sauce. With little broth to dilute it, the dressing coats each strand; cucumber and egg add crisp and soft contrasts. The noodles are cool, but the dish is usually spicy.
How to eat it
Mix the dressing from the bottom of the bowl, or add it gradually if served separately. Janchi-guksu at the same shop is a different, warm broth dish worth comparing when you want a milder option.
Read about this dish →
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