Buckwheat Noodle

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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 myun exist: 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 chili peppers. Although these are the two major variations of the dish, several others do exist, typically varying either the composition of the broth of mul-naeng myun, the meat or vegetables added to the noodles, or both.

Since naeng myun is a cold dish as indicated by its name, you would think that it is popular mainly in 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.

Recommended restaurant: Kum Gang San