Name: Jajangmyeon (home recipe)
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 400g fresh thick wheat noodles (jajangmyeon noodles or thick udon); 300g pork shoulder, cut to 1.5cm cubes; 1 large onion, cut to 1.5cm dice; 1 medium zucchini, cut to 1.5cm dice; 1 medium potato, cut to 1.5cm dice; 150g cabbage, cut to 2cm pieces; 6 tbsp chunjang (Korean black bean paste, sold in dark green plastic tubs); 3 tbsp neutral oil; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or mirin; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 500ml chicken stock or water; 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp cold water; 1 tsp sesame oil; To serve: 1/2 cucumber julienned, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), kimchi

History

Jajangmyeon (자장면) was created in 1905 at Gonghwachun restaurant in Incheon's Chinatown by Chinese immigrants who adapted Shandong zhajiangmian to Korean tastes; the original Chinese version uses lighter wheat-bean paste, while the Korean version uses caramel-darkened chunjang, which gives the signature lacquered black colour. Seoul absorbed the dish through Korean-Chinese restaurants citywide; by the 1960s it was the default cheap delivery food. South Koreans now eat an estimated 7 million bowls a day. Black Day (April 14) is a Seoul tradition where single people gather to eat jajangmyeon and lament their single status.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 35 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

400g fresh thick wheat noodles (jajangmyeon noodles or thick udon)
300g pork shoulder, cut to 1.5cm cubes
1 large onion, cut to 1.5cm dice
1 medium zucchini, cut to 1.5cm dice
1 medium potato, cut to 1.5cm dice
150g cabbage, cut to 2cm pieces
6 tbsp chunjang (Korean black bean paste, sold in dark green plastic tubs)
3 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or mirin
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
500ml chicken stock or water
2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
1 tsp sesame oil
To serve: 1/2 cucumber julienned, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), kimchi

Method

Fry the chunjang: heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a wok or wide pan over medium-low. Add the chunjang paste and stir for 5 minutes (this caramelises the bean paste and removes the raw bitterness; do not skip).
Scoop the fried chunjang into a bowl. Wipe the wok.
Heat 1 tbsp oil. Sear the pork on high heat until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add Shaoxing wine.
Add onion, potato, zucchini and cabbage. Stir-fry 4 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Return the fried chunjang to the wok. Stir to coat everything in dark paste.
Pour in the chicken stock. Add sugar and soy. Bring to a simmer; cook 8 minutes until the potato is just tender.
Whisk in the cornflour slurry; the sauce thickens to glossy lacquer in 1 minute.
Finish with sesame oil off the heat.
Cook noodles in a separate pot of boiling water 3 to 5 minutes (follow package). Drain.
Mound noodles in deep bowls. Ladle the sauce over the centre. Top with cucumber julienne. Serve with danmuji and kimchi.

Tip from the editors. Fry the chunjang in oil for the full 5 minutes before adding anything else; raw chunjang tastes bitter, fried chunjang tastes like jajangmyeon.