Visit Seoul

Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles) – Naengmyeon comes in two basic varieties: mul-naengmyeon (water cold noodles) and bibim-naengmyeon (mixed cold noodles). Bibim-naengmyun is noodles mixed with hot pepper paste, vinegar, sugar and sometimes pears, cucumbers or eggs. Mul-naengmyeon is served in a chilled beef broth with many of the same ingredients as its counterpart, bibim-naengmyeon, but sometimes also includes ice cubes and sometimes mustard. The noodles used consist of thin arrowroot or buckwheat flour and potatoes. The dish is generally served in a large metallic bowl so that the dish can remain cold while you eat it. Because naengmyeon is a cold dish as indicated by its name, you would expect that it is popular mainly in the summer, but many people enjoy it during the winter too. While many restaurants serve this dish all year round, there are a few that only serve it as a special summer item. Start off your naengmyeon experience with the less spicy mul-naengmyeon before moving on to the bibim-naengmyeon later.