NORTH KOREA: Cold Spicy Noodles (Bibim Naengmyeon) and Korean Lettuce Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)

I spent the summer of 1987 on a student exchange program in rural Japan. This was well before social media and the flattening world, a few years before Japanese cuisine became commonplace in the US. I remember being mind blown eating Zaru soba; I had eaten cold soup before, but never cold noodle soup. We only ate out a few times that summer, but I ordered it each and every time.

This dish reminds me of Zaru soba, but with the subtlety of Japanese flavors swapped out for bold Korean ones. It does call for a few ingredients less common to the US pantry, but there are not great substitutes; I ran with the meal anyway. So — it's quick, easy, and delicious, but maybe not as accessible as most of the OWW recipes. Other than the noodles, though, all can be found at larger supermarket chains, Asian markets, or on Amazon.

Finding the right Korean noodle is not easy, a task made harder by needing them to be gluten free. I thus ordered these, as buckwheat and sweet potatoes are common ingredients in the proper noodles. However if you want to make authentic dish, with the chewy noodles for which it is known, you should search for Korean cold noodles for bibim naengmyeon or chik-naengmyeon made with arrowroot.

NOTE: My egg was undercooked for this recipe. Eggs are intended to be hard boiled, not jammy. But my kids like jammy, so I sacrificed authenticity and the photo to keep the kids happy :).

Cold Spicy Noodles (Bibim Naengmyeon)

4 large eggs

8 ounces dried noodles for bibim naengmyeon, chik-naengmyeon, or buckwheat noodles

1 beef bouillon cube

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

1 Asian pear or crispy apple

2 scallions

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

2 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

2 tablespoons rice syrup or agave

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 Persian cucumbers

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Start a small saucepan with water or a steamer for the eggs. Cook eggs for 11 minutes, then run under cold water to stop cooking.

2. While eggs cook, cook noodles according to package directions.

3. To make the broth, in a small bowl, dissolve the bouillon cube in half cup hot water. Add in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari, one cup cold water, and 2 ice cubes. Place in fridge.

4. Next, make the spicy sauce. Cut the Asian pear or apple in half and peel half. Place the peeled slices in a small food processor or blender. Cut the scallions, discarding the roots, into large slices and mince the garlic. Place both into the processor or blender. Add in the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari, ginger, gochugaru, gochujang, rice syrup or agave, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and sesame oil. Process until smooth.

5. Dissolve the remaining tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl (~half a cup) or water. Cut remaining half of the Asian pear or apple into julienne/matchstick slices and place into the sugar water, which will keep the slices from browning. Cut the cucumbers into julienne/matchstick slices and set aside.

6. Place the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until they lightly toast. Place them in a small mug and crush them with the back of a spoon.

7. When the noodles are cooked through, drain and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.

8. To serve, place a quarter of the noodles in a shallow soup bowl. Top with a quarter of the chilled broth, a tablespoon or two of the spicy sauce, a quarter of the pear and cucumber slices, and a dusting of crushed sesame seeds. Serve with the additional spicy sauce on the side.

Korean Lettuce Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)

2 heads of Romaine lettuce

1 Asian pear or crispy apple

1 scallion

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

1. Clean and chop the lettuce. Peel the pear or apple and slice into slices or thick julienne slices. Place both in a large salad or serving bowl.

2. Mince the light and dark green parts of the scallion and place into a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

3. Pour dressing into salad bowl and toss.

#coldnoodlesoup #coldsoup #bibimnaengmyeon #koreansalad #globaldinners

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FUN FACTS:

• North Korean men and women have a choice of only 15 state-approved haircuts. Patrol units of the Women’s Union are employed to stop and interrogate civilians whose haircuts do not conform.

• Government-installed home radios cannot be turned off completely, only lowered in volume.

• North Korea is home to the largest stadium in the world. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang has a capacity of 150,000.