Naengmyeon (냉면) is a Korean cold noodle dish made with thin, chewy noodles—often from 메밀 (memil, buckwheat) or 고구마 전분 (goguma jeonbun, sweet potato starch). It’s served in either 물냉면 (mul-naengmyeon, icy broth) or 비빔냉면 (bibim-naengmyeon, spicy mixed version). Common toppings include 소고기 (sogogi, beef), 오이 (oi, cucumber), 배 (bae, Korean pear), and 삶은 달걀 (salmeun dalgyal, boiled egg). The dish is refreshing, tangy, and perfect for hot weather.
Originally from what is now North Korea, naengmyeon (냉면) was winter-only until early 1900s ice plants made it summer staple. Early versions used dongchimi broth and wild pheasant, not beef. Less-known types include hoe-naengmyeon with raw fish and Busan’s milmyeon (밀면), born of wartime migration.
During the summer months, many barbecue restaurants offer small, low-priced bowls of naengmyeon (냉면) as a refreshing finish to grilled meat meals. This tradition lets diners enjoy a light, cool contrast after rich gogi (고기) dishes, often called 후식 냉면 (hushik naengmyeon), meaning dessert or after-meal naengmyeon.
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