... or to be more specific, vegan bibim naengmyun (비빔냉면)! This cold noodle dish normally features an egg on top with a little slab of beef, but my version contains no meat or egg -- in fact, the egg-like item on top is radish carved into an egg-shape. :-)
Bibim naengmyun must be one of the best tasting foods in this world of ours! I love to make it at home on a hot day, the cold-sweet-savory spiciness of noodles cooling me down but heating up my taste buds at the same time. The cold-savory-sweet interplay is played atop the noodles as well in the form of fresh and crunchy radish, cucumber, and Asian pear.
My favorite part about making bibim naengmyun is the fantastic smell of gochujang meeting sesame oil -- could there be a more beautiful scent? I also get excited when the noodles come from the boiling water and are poured into a strainer, the scent of the buckwheat permeating the room and causing my stomach to rumble.
1. Begin by preparing fresh vegetable and fruit toppings by slicing: daikon radish, cucumber, and Korean pear. Set aside.
2. Prepare the seasoning mixture by combining three large tablespoons of gochujang together with 2-3 tablespoons of the following, adjusting amounts to taste: sesame oil, sugar, rice vinegar. Set aside.
3. Now bring water to a boil and boil buckwheat noodles until they are just past al dente. They should be rubbery but not soft. Place into a strainger and rinse immediately with very cold water. Allow to drain.
4. With a large spoon, mix the seasoning with the noodles. Place into a metal bowl and cool the noodles down in the freezer for a few minutes. Don't allow the noodles to begin to freeze but they should be very cold.
5. Top with fresh vegetables and Korean pear. (Traditionally also served with a slice of meat and an egg.)
And now a little Korean music to enjoy with your food: my favorite Korean singer, Simsoo Bong, singing "A Million Scarlet Roses."
Actually this heart-felt, moody stage version is much better than the poppy CD verson, I thought, and what surprise to learn that the original song is Russian! Of course it makes sense after you listen to the original...
In any case, I find both women mesmerizing...
Comments
yum!
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!
Posted by: john patrick | May 20, 2007 04:53 PM
ahhhh ..... looks really yummy. will try my hand at it, since you make it sound easy to prepare.
but before i try making bibim naengmyun, i think i'll have the chance to have it at restaurants specializing in naengmyun in korea. i don't know if you've ever been, but "Hamheung Naengmyun" is one of the most popular naengmyun franchises in Korea. it's interesting how different places in korea have slight variations in their naengmyun recipes--
Posted by: foreign student | May 21, 2007 11:20 AM
I totally love Bibim Naengmyun! Yours look so mouth watering! I just made simple version of this, to be correct, more like the test version and it needed some improvement. :)
Posted by: sue | May 23, 2007 01:03 AM
mmm! those pictures are gorgious, i'd like me egg in top please :)
Posted by: aria | May 24, 2007 01:44 PM
I've just been salivating over the gorgeous pics of your bibim naengmyun on both ZenKimchi & My Korean Kitchen. Now armed with your recipe, I'm a-gonna make it soon! Thanks! :)
Posted by: Kyng | June 12, 2007 05:53 PM
i actually love bibim naengmyun with slices of hard boiled egg. the yolk mixed with the gochujang gives the sauce a more velvety texture and kind of tones down the heat while adding to the flavour!
Posted by: baikster | January 23, 2008 08:57 PM
OMG! That is the song of my childhood! The second singer is Alla Pugacheva - the superstar of Soviet-Russian pop! I had no idea there was a Korean version...
PS> Your food makes me so hungry. Grrr...
Posted by: elena | April 27, 2008 04:15 PM