The authentic recipe for Korean cold noodles
Release time : 03/29/2026 09:30:03
Cold Noodles, a very famous traditional Korean national dish.
Especially during the scorching summer days, if you can have a bowl of refreshingly cool North Korean cold noodles, it's like having a taste sensation that is unparalleled! So, how exactly does authentic North Korean cold noodles come to be? Let us delve into the detailed introduction of this classic recipe! The authentic North Korean cold noodles are characterized by its fine textured noodle, cool and refreshing broth, and an appropriate blend of sour and spicy flavors. It is a highly popular traditional North Korean national dish.
Let's take a look at how to make the authentic Korean cold noodle soup base. 1. Make the cold noodle soup base.
Wash the beef chuck in cold water. If the meat is too large, cut it into 15cm cubes to make it more easily to cook through.
1/2 onion peeled and cut into chunks.
Slice the ginger.
Cut the green onions into inch-long sections and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add cleaned beef knuckle and simmer until blood is released. Drain the meat and rinse it off before storing it aside for later use.
In a pot, add 3 litres of cold water, add garlic (5 cloves), ginger (4 slices), green onion, onion pieces and black pepper. Put the beef in the pot first. Then turn on the high heat and boil it up.
After the pot boils, lower the fire to low heat and simmer for 2 hours. The impurities and floating oil will be removed from time to time.
Finally, add the salt (2 teaspoons) to the soup and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the beef from the soup and let it cool before wrapping in plastic wrap and freezing.
Use a kitchen strainer with filtering properties to remove all the impurities from the soup, leaving only the liquid. If no kitchen strainer is available, you can use two layers of gauze instead.
Mix in soy sauce, white sugar (3 tablespoons), and white vinegar (3 tablespoons) into the saucepan and let it cool to room temperature.
At this point, you can also refrigerate the bowl that holds the cold noodles along with it.
Remove the sauce from the fridge, filter it again with kitchen paper to remove the white fat, and then you have a cold soup ready.
2. Prepare the cold noodles' ingredients. Cut the remaining half of the onion into fine pieces, and the remaining garlic and ginger into fine pieces as well.
Wash the pear and cut it lengthwise into two halves.
Remove the core and cut it into slices.
Take a section of duckpear slices and cut them into strips for later use.
Clean the cabbage and cut it into 2cm cubes. Put them in a large bowl, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and mix evenly.
After 20 minutes, the water in the cabbage was drained and pressed with hands gently.
However, water shouldn't be squeezed too dry, as it can easily turn bitter.
In cabbage add minced ginger, minced garlic, minced onion, chili powder (1 teaspoon), white sugar (1 tablespoon), balsamic vinegar (1 tablespoon), and pear slices.
Add a little cold water to the cabbage, then put it in a plastic bag and rub it with your hands until it becomes soft.
Cut the Korean-style Kimchi into shreds.
Prepare the napa cabbage slices for the dish.
After cooking, cut the beef into slices 0.3cm thick along the direction of the muscle fibers from the refrigerator and keep them ready for use.
Clean frying pan, add white sesame seeds, adjust the fire to low heat and stir fry until sesame seeds are slightly yellow and fragrant.
Put the eggs in a small pot and add enough cold water. Boil them over medium heat for 15 minutes, then remove from the pot and soak in cold water for 5 minutes.
Peel the egg and cut it in half lengthwise.
3. Cook unique buckwheat noodles by soaking the dry buckwheat flour in an adequate amount of cold water for 20 minutes to soften it.
Add enough cold water to the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add one serving of buckwheat noodles, stirring them with chopsticks until they are evenly distributed.
After about 2 minutes, when the noodles are soft, use a slotted spoon to remove them and quickly place them in a bowl filled with cold water. Let them soak for a moment, then stir them with chopsticks.
After the water in the bowl has risen, it needs to be replaced. To cool it down, you can add ice cubes into the cold water.
4. The pairings of soup, ingredients, and buckwheat noodles are arranged in a bowl that has been chilled. A third of the bowl is filled with beef soup, and a small amount of bean paste soup from cabbage is added to the soup.
Add a serving-size of buckwheat noodles into the soup.
On the noodles, lay down cabbage kimchi, spicy gari meuniere, pickled radish slices, half a boiled egg, pear slices, and two slices of beef.
Finally, sprinkle the fried white sesame seeds on top. If you like a spicy kick, you can add Korean chili paste and horseradish to your liking.
The authentic Korean cold noodles, once mastered by the Korean people, will undoubtedly inspire admiration in those who appreciate the pursuit of food. For those who are not accustomed to cooking, the difficulty of making this dish can only be a distant dream.
In fact, not only is the preparation method complex, but the authentic Korean cold noodle making techniques are also somewhat sophisticated! Let's take a closer look at them now! 1. The noodles used in Korean cold noodles are specially made buckwheat noodles, which are more elastic and smooth than wheat noodles. They are the preferred choice for making cold noodles.
Dried buckwheat noodles are available at large supermarkets and farmers' markets, making them easy to purchase.
Once you've bought the packaged authentic noodles, soak them in cold water to soften them up. Then, gently boil them in boiling water for just a few minutes, and they should be ready to eat. Twist a piece to check; if it's not too hard or sharp, they're ready.
The texture of the authentic Korean cold noodles is "extremely difficult to bite through".
Make sure to prepare the noodles in advance; if you do it too early, they'll get mushy and tough after a long time.
2. The delicious cold noodle soup requires a flavorful broth. This isn't just any ordinary broth; it is the result of slow-cooking beef bones to create a beefy broth.
When making a soup base, it is essential to use either beef chuck or lean beef, as this ensures that the soup does not contain an excessive amount of fat, resulting in a more refreshing and delicious taste.
3. Kimchi plays an irreplaceable role in Korean Cold Noodles. Here we need two kinds of different styles of kimchi: one is traditional Korean spicy nappa cabbage and radish kimchi, and the other is homemade cabbage kimchi.
4. The sour and sweet flavors in cold noodles come from the Kimchi soup and vinegar.
White vinegar is what everyone knows as rice vinegar. The soup can be made with the broth from spicy napa cabbage.
5. Soybean noodles need to be cooled down after cooking, so it's very necessary to have some cold boiled water ready, and if you can also prepare some ice cubes, even better.
Seeing these, those who usually don't cook at home must be sighing in dismay. For those who dread the task of cooking, it's no wonder they can't help but complain, "I finished making Korean cold noodles by dawn."
Deliciousness comes with waiting, and the deliciousness of Korean cold noodles is worth the patience of food enthusiasts! Understanding the nutritional value of authentic Korean cold noodles is something that those who appreciate them are aware. The ingredients used in Korean cold noodles are incredibly diverse, and from the soup base to the toppings, they are all packed with rich nutrition! For this reason, let's briefly explore the nutritional benefits of the buckwheat noodles in authentic Korean cold noodles. 1. Buckwheat noodles contain 70% starch and 7%-13% protein. Moreover, the amino acid composition of their protein is quite balanced, with a rich presence of arginine and threonine.
Buckwheat flour contains 2-3% fat, of which the beneficial linoleic acid and arachidonic acid are very high.
These two kinds of fatty acids play a role in reducing blood lipids and are also an important component of prostaglandins, which is a hormone.
2. The vitamin D1 and B2 in buckwheat flour are three to twenty times higher than those in wheat flour, which is rare for most grains.
The major nutritional characteristic of buckwheat noodles is that they contain a large amount of nicotinic acid and rutin, which are very rare in other foods.
Both of these substances have the effect of reducing blood lipids and serum cholesterol, which is important for the prevention and treatment of hypertension and heart disease. They are also effective medicines for treating cardiovascular diseases.
3. Wheat noodles also contain a lot of minerals, especially phosphorus, iron and magnesium, which is very important for maintaining the normal physiological function of human cardiovascular system and hematopoietic system.
Buckwheat noodles are the primary ingredient in authentic Korean cold noodles. Although there are many ingredients necessary for a traditional Korean cold noodle dish, its nutritional value cannot be simply attributed to that of buckwheat noodles. However, by examining the nutritional value of buckwheat noodles, we can roughly understand the nutritional content of a true Korean cold noodle dish, as buckwheat noodles epitomize the essence of this delicacy! Selection of ingredients in authentic Korean cold noodles. Authentic Korean cold noodles are a traditional Korean culinary delight. From the preparation of the soup base, the making of the seasoning mix, and the production of the buckwheat noodles, all aspects are meticulously crafted.
The staple diet consists of buckwheat noodles, served with beef broth or chicken soup, and accompaniments such as spicy napa cabbage, meat slices, eggs, cucumber strips, and pear slices.
When eating, first put a little cold soup and the right amount of noodles in the bowl, then put the sauce, finally pour again.
The noodles are fine and tough, with a cooling soup that's just right for the taste buds.
So, how does the selection of ingredients for authentic Korean cold noodles work? Let's briefly introduce a few representative ingredients in this regard.
1. Buckwheat noodles.
Buckwheat noodles are made by mixing buckwheat flour with water and kneading the mixture into a flat dough which is then cut into thin strips.
Picking buckwheat should involve selecting uniformly sized, plump, lustrous buckwheat.
When the same seeds are planted under similar conditions, they should grow into buckwheat of equal size. If you notice that the buckwheat is of different sizes, it may be mixed together for sale.
Dried ones may have been left to sit for a long time, or they might not have developed properly at all. Such buckwheat will be nutritionally compromised.
2. Kimchi.
Kimchi is made by slicing and fermenting cabbage.
When it comes to Chinese cabbage, the appearance is very important when selecting.
Generally, you should choose a large cabbage that is tightly packed and examine the roots. The roots should be small because it's not advisable to eat the roots of a cabbage.
An additional important point to consider is whether it has rotted or not. If it has, be cautious in choosing it.
If you're buying it in bulk, opt for the larger heads of cabbage, as they generally have more edible leaves and stems.
The little-sized Chinese cabbage, once it's peeled open, the outer leaves aren't much left either, so it's not very cost-effective.
3. Eggs.
Use your eyes to observe the appearance, color, and cleanliness of the egg.
Fresh eggs are of good quality; the eggshells are clean, intact, and free from luster, with a layer of white frost on them. The color is bright.
You may also try to feel the roughness of the egg by touching it, feel its weight and flip it over in your palm.
The egg shell of the good quality fresh eggs is rough, and the weight is appropriate.
Fleshy eggs, with cracks, gouges or damage on the shell, and a smooth feel to the touch.
Put the egg in your hand and gently tap it against another, listen to the sound.
Or hold it and shake it, listen to its sound.
Fresh eggs with good quality, the sound of the egg hitting each other is crisp, and there is no sound when you shake the egg.
Authentic Korean cold noodles are made with a wide variety of ingredients, and the quality of these ingredients directly affects the taste and flavor of the noodles. Authentic Korean cold noodles can be enjoyed at any time. The preparation process of authentic Korean cold noodles is very complex, with a cool and unique flavor, making it a traditional food that is highly popular among both domestic and international people.
So, when is the authentic Korean cold noodle dish best consumed? To help everyone better understand, let's delve into it in detail! Typically, it is served with buckwheat noodles as the main course, complemented by beef or chicken soup, and accompaniments such as spicy nappa cabbage, meat slices, eggs, cucumber strips, and pear slices.
When eating, first put a little cold soup and a suitable amount of noodles in the bowl and then put the seasoning.
The noodles are fine and tough, the soup is cool and refreshing, and the sour and spicy flavors are just right.
Authentic Korean cold noodles, with their refreshingly cool and crisp texture, are the perfect culinary delight during the sweltering summer heat. A bite of this delicious dish can dispel the oppressive heat and unease of the season, leaving behind only the delightful taste and a sense of boundless joy.
Even for seasoned gourmands, the joy of eating is unbound by national boundaries or seasonal constraints; one can indulge in their favorite dishes whenever they desire, relishing the pleasure of it.
While that's true, for those who are robust in their stomach and gut functions, it's not a big deal.
However, those with poor gastrointestinal function should exercise caution when consuming Korean cold noodles in winter. Although the refreshing and tangy flavors remain, whether the stomach can handle it is another issue altogether! *The medical information mentioned in this article is for reference only.
In case of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on an in-person medical consultation.