Would you like your noodles cut?

Mul naengmyeon

http://ladymoon29.blogspot.com/2010/07/korean-

cuisine-to-beat-summer-heat_24.html

What’s better than a glass of ice cold lemonade on a hot summer day?  A giant bowl of Korean naengmyeon.  Usually served in a large stainless bowl, naengmyeon, meaning “cold noodles” in Korean, consists of long and abnormally chewy noodles, cold and refreshing broth, half of a boiled egg, and an assortment of vegetables.  The way my mom makes it, she throws in cucumbers, Korean pears (yes, they are different from regular pears), radishes, and occasionally slices of beef.  If you order this at a restaurant, the server will usually hand you containers of vinegar and/or spicy mustard to put in the broth.  I prefer my naengmyeon with a moderate amount of vinegar and a lot of mustard to give the broth a nice and tangy kick.  The server will also ask if you would like the noodles cut.  Although it makes them easier to eat, the noodles traditionally represent longevity, so some people prefer to struggle.

As with most dishes, there are multiple variances of naengmyeon.  The original type of naengmyeon is mul (water) naengmyeon.  Bibim naengmyeon does not have any broth and is usually mixed with gochujang, a spicy traditional sauce made from red hot peppers.  Hoe naengmyeon, a personal favorite, is naengmyeon with spicy raw fish, usually skate.  

Bibim naengmyeon

http://www.sempio.com/eng/recipencooking/recipe/searchResult.asp?

page=10&keyWord=&scate=&cate1=&cate2=

Hoe naengmyeon

http://www.ifood.tv/network/hoe_naengmyeon

 

If dining at a Korean restaurant, ordering a side of galbi (Korean marinated beef ribs) with your naengmyeon is almost essential.  Most restaurants have combos that come with naengmyeon and a side of galbi for only about five dollars more, a deal well worth getting.  

http://adelicafefoods.com/galbi-korean-food-recipe/

Whether it being mul naengmyeon or hoe naengmyeon, at home or at a restaurant, with galbi or without, this Korean dish is truly one that I cannot get tired of. 

Tteokbokki

Immediately after taking my first bite of DUC food, I was already starting to miss my mother’s Korean cooking.  Don’t get me wrong; the food at the DUC is not bad at all.  The hospitality and variety of foods are not things that you find in normal cafeterias.  But, having lived eighteen years eating primarily the same style of food, the desire, or sometimes even slight hallucinations, of eating Korean food is unending. 

Source: http://ask.nate.com/qna/view.html?n=8756189

One of the most popular, which also happens to be my favorite, Korean dish is tteokbokki.  Tteokbokki is a hot and spicy stir-fry dish that typically has sliced rice cake and odeng (fish cake; it tastes better than it sounds).   Other ingredients include various meats, green onions, carrots, eggs, mushrooms, and onions. 

This dish was originally only for the Korean royal court and wealthy individuals.  Traditionally, the dish was more pungent and less spicy.  The modern version of tteokbokki uses a sweet and spicy sauce called gochujang. 

There are also several variations to this dish.  One of my favorites is adding noodles, or ramen, to the dish.  Even replacing the rice cakes for the noodles can be a delicious change.  It also makes the meal more filling, as it is normally considered a snack. 

Source: http://nomadichimee.blogspot.com/2010/10/duk-bok-ki-spicy-rice-cake.html

Tteokbokki is commonly sold in street carts in Korea.  If you ever have the chance to go to Korea and sample some of the cuisine, you will most likely come across these vendors all over the country.  The authenticity of street cart food cannot be questioned; however, sanitation is a problem due to the lack of running water in these street carts.  Personally, I’d say it is worth the risk, but just to convince some of you out there, chili peppers are actually known to have an antibacterial attribute.  Good luck with all the other types of street cart food though.