Spicy Cold Noodles? Drizzle That Sesame Oil!
Words by Jeong-Yoon Lee
So, apparently there was a time when I could casually eat naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles) even in the dead of winter. These days? Nope. If I dare eat icy cold noodles on a freezing day, my body temp drops so low I basically turn into a human popsicle. And since my apartment somehow manages to be colder than the actual outdoors, I’ve learned to just wait it out. No matter how much I crave that chilly, chewy goodness, I hold off until spring whispers, “It’s time.”
Well, spring has officially sprung! The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and the sun’s actually sticking around, so you know what that means—time to stock up on Songju Fire Naengmyeon.
I’ve always gone for the spicy version (because, you know, fire), but lately I’ve had to admit a hard truth: I’m kind of a spice wimp. I was suffering more than savoring. So now I go for the not spicy option and I gotta say—life’s better this way. Less pain, more flavor!
This time, I ordered the 10-serving pack: five for mul-naengmyeon (cold broth) and five for bibim-naengmyeon (spicy sauce). Fun fact—the mild sauce comes in a cheerful yellow package. A happy little nod to my peaceful taste buds, I guess.
Now, I’ve reached the point in life where one packet of ramen doesn’t cut it anymore. Same goes for naengmyeon. I usually eat about 1.3 to 1.5 servings per meal. No shame. I need noodles and joy in equal measure.
The noodles come pre-cooked and individually packed, so they don’t need a long bath in boiling water—just a quick dip for about a minute to loosen them up. Then it’s straight to the cold rinse until they’re perfectly chewy and all the starch is gone. Gotta keep it snappy. Oh, and I always prep two boiled eggs—protein is important, people.
Once the noodles are ready, into the bowl they go, along with the sauce and a generous pour of sesame oil. I skip the extra veggies because I usually pair it with some spicy green onion kimchi that brings its own kind of crunch. Back when I ate the spicy version, I’d add a sprinkle of sugar to tame the heat, but the mild one doesn’t need it.
One day it’s mul-naengmyeon, the next it’s bibim-naengmyeon—at this pace, I’ll be through all ten servings in a week. Zero regrets.
Oh, and about that broth—I don’t drink as much of it as I thought I would, so I decided to get creative and toss in some cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly). Let’s just say… it was underwhelming. Cheongpomuk without seaweed or seasoning? Meh. It definitely needs the full treatment. I’ll save that experiment for summer when I have the patience (and ingredients) to do it right.
Bottom line: it’s officially naengmyeon season, and Songju’s got me covered. Cold noodles, warm weather, and extra sesame oil—what more could a girl want?
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