Japchae: Stir-Fried Noodles and Vegetables
Written by Joe Wabe
Japchae is one of the culinary jewels of Korea, and a dish I’ve been in love with since day one. It’s one of the most popular dishes at potlucks, house-warming parties, and family gatherings, and its popularity extends to children as well as adults. After all, what can go wrong when you add some fun noodles onto a plate?
According to history, the original version of japchae had no noodles. It was a variant of only stir-fried vegetables such as cucumbers, radish, onions, and mushrooms. This gave origin to the word japchae, which in Korean means “mixed vegetables.” In the early 17th century, a chef named Yi Chung prepared the dish for King Gwanghaegun, and the king was so in love with the dish that he promoted Yi to a high-ranking position; from then, japchae became royal court cuisine. It was considered a luxurious and elegant dish served only to the royal family and high-level officials.
With the passing of time, this royal dish became part of the commoners’ cuisine, and after the introduction of cellophane noodles, made from sweet potato starch (dangmyeon, 당면), in the 20th century by the Chinese, the original recipe took a new turn. With this new transformation, other ingredients came along: beef, seafood, herbs, and peppers, in addition to many others, and as a result, a new version of japchae was born.
The current and most popular version is sweet and savory, prepared with stir-fried assorted vegetables, beef, mushroom, and dangmyeon noodles seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. If you miss a good chop suey, I guarantee this dish will not fall short.
Let’s japchae!
Ingredients (4 servings)
250 grams of dangmyeon (당면) noodles
½ bunch of spinach rinsed and trimmed
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
½ onion sliced
4 dried and sliced shiitake mushrooms (soaked in water for ten minutes)
1 sliced medium-sized carrot
1 sliced red bell pepper
200 grams of beef ribeye cut into thick strips
2 tablespoons of plum syrup (or brown sugar)
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of anchovy stock
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 green onion chopped into medium-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
Sesame seeds for garnish
Preparation
1. Cook the noodles in boiling water for about five minutes. Immediately rinse under cold water. Make sure to not overcook the noodles so that they don’t lose their chewy texture.
2. Blanch the spinach in boiling water and rinse with cold water. After squeezing the water out, cut the bunch in half and mix it with some minced garlic, a little sesame oil, and anchovy stock. Let it all sit in a bowl for ten minutes.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the beef, remaining garlic, some soy sauce, and sesame oil (about a teaspoon each). Stir-fry until the meat is cooked. Add the chopped onions, mushrooms, and carrots, and continue for another four minutes. Finally, add the green onion, and let all the ingredients dance together for another minute. Then remove from the heat.
4. Finally, in a large bowl, combine the noodles, the stir-fried meat and vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients, including the plum syrup and marinated spinach. Serve warm and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The Author
Joe Wabe is an established photographer and Gwangju local business entrepreneur. He has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than eight years.