Grain
Naengmyeon noodles
냉면
Also called mul-naengmyeon noodles, buckwheat noodles, memil guksu
Thin springy brown-grey noodles for Korean naengmyeon, often buckwheat cut with starch so they stay chewy in ice-cold broth. They are not Japanese soba, even though both start from buckwheat.
Origin
Korea, especially the north and Gangwon, where buckwheat grew in cooler fields. The iced-noodle habit is a Korean service style, not a Japanese zaru plate.
Flavour
Nutty buckwheat if the blend is honest; cheaper noodles taste mostly of starch and cold water. The chew is as important as the grain.
How it is made
Buckwheat flour is mixed with wheat or starch, extruded, and sold dried or frozen. Higher buckwheat percentages taste better and break more easily. Factory noodles are how most homes do naengmyeon.
How to use it
Boil in plenty of water until just done, then rinse hard under cold water and finish in an ice bath so they snap. Drain well. Serve in iced broth or in a chilli-sweet sauce, and put scissors on the table. Do not sauce them while they are warm or they clump. Frozen packs often cook faster than dried. A little mustard and vinegar in the broth is traditional.
Storage
Dried pantry, or freezer if the pack is frozen. Cooked noodles do not wait; they harden and then slime.
Recipes using it
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