Korea – Jajangmyeon (자장면)

by Evelyn Brutz

ABOUT THE DISH

This is Korean noodles with black beans sauce. These are spicy Korean noodles, have pork meat, sweet beans sauce, sweet wheat paste, some required vegetables, seafood optional. This dish is from the MYEON category of Korean cuisine. This category has Noodles of all types. Noodles are very popular in South Korea and people used to love noodles in soups, curries, salads, etc. This dish has origin from Chinese cuisine but has an impact on Korean cuisine and now it is cooked in Korea with different variations.

The name of the dish is also derived from Chinese words. In this dish noodles are mixed with sauces of black beans and other sauces are also be added to these noodles like Oyster sauce, Soya sauce, etc. There is some addition of vegetables like carrots, cucumber, onions, scallions, cabbage, Zucchini, and onions. We can make different variations out of this basic recipe. Now there are huge varieties of different condiments like any toppings, dressing, crunches added.

There are also other different dishes created from the same dish but with the addition of other elements like nuts, any spices, broth, fresh vegetables, cooked vegetables, etc. We can add different noodles as well, like instant noodles, egg noodles, plain flour noodles, Udon noodles, Mung beans noodles, etc.

MYEON

Myeon is the Korean category of Noodles. The native Korean noodles are called Myeon. Korean noodles are also referred to as ”GUKSU”. There are different kinds of noodles prepared in BCE 6000 to BCE 5000 in Asia.

Noodles dishes in Korean cuisines are :

• Kalguksu
• Japchae
• Bibim Guksu
• Naengmyeon
• Milmyeon
• Jatguksu

WARM NOODLES DISHES

• Gomguksu (곰국수)
• Jjapaguri (ram-don)
• Jjampong (짬뽕)

COLD NOODLES DISHES

• Jjolmyeon (쫄면)
• Milmyeon (밀면)
• Jatguksu (잣국수)

HISTORY OF THE DISH

Gonghwachun (공화춘; 共和春) was the Chinese restaurants in 1900’s. This restaurant was formed by Chinese Immigrants. They introduced the dish of noodles with red beans sauce to Korea. Jajangmyeon (자장면) became very popular that even now that restaurant was transformed into the Jajangmyeon (자장면) Museum.

The Chinese dish of fried noodles is very similar to Jajangmyeon (자장면) cooked in Korea.

Zhajiangmian is a similar Chinese dish that means ”RED BEANS FRIED NOODLES”.

HEALTHY BENEFITS OF HAVING JAJANGMYEON

• This dish has included nutrients like iron, phosphorus and potassium
• It also has an excellent source of low-fat proteins and dietary fiber.
• Red beans sauce used in this dish contains phytonutrients
• It helps in controlling the Blood pressure.
• It maintains the Blood Sugar level by regulating Carbohydrates.
• It contains a natural protein, Lectin.
• It is Low Sodium and Cholesterol Free noodles
• It helps in sustain the Energy of body
• It is a good source of Folic Acid
• It is important part of Balanced Diet

NUTRITION

• 230 calories
• 40 g of Carbohydrates
• 1.6 g of fat
• 20 g of protein
• 12.2 g fiber
• 3.9 g sugars
• 536.2  mg Sodium
• 0.0 mg Cholestrol

TYPES OF JAJANGMYEON

Gan-jjajang (간짜장)

This type of Jajangmyeon is a Chinese special dish that is usually dry noodles. These noodles have the use of sauce but no water is added. Like other noodles, in these noodles, no use of any stock or broth is added.

The letter ”gan” is the Chinese language letter that basically used in this dish that means, ”DRY”

Yuni-jjajang (유니짜장)

The word ”yuni” is the Korean language word reading of the Chinese language word ” ròuní.” This means MINCEMEAT. In this dish, meat in the form of mince is added.

Yuni-jjajang (유니짜장) has the use of meat like chicken and beef. But Korean food has use of seafood. So seafood is mostly added to the noodles in the grounded form. Like fish mince, Crab mince, etc. Some kind of meat balls is also be added into the noodles with red beans paste as the seasoning of this dish.

Samseon-jjajang (삼선짜장)

This name of the dish is derived from the word samseon, sānxiān (三鲜) that means “three fresh ingredients”. In this dish, there are ingredients used as :

• Squid
• Mussles
• Vegetables
• Noodles
• Red beans sauce

Chapagetti (짜파게티)

Chapaghatti is an instant noodle with the dual version of Myeon and Ramen. In English, this is called Ramyeon. These are simple noodles with the sauce but additional ingredients are also added.

• Seafood
• Vegetables
• Seasoning
• Noodles

Zhajiangmian (炸醬麵)

Zhajiangmian is the Chinese version of this dish that means, Fried Noodles with beans sauce. These are thick noodles of wheat flour. Fermented soya beans sauce is added that is fried before being added into the noodles.

The additional toppings are :

• Cucumber
• Radish
• Pickle
• Eggs
• Tofu

SAUCE OF JAJANGMYEON:

Korean chunjang (춘장)

This sauce is also known as Tianmian sauce. This is a popular sauce served in many other cuisines. This has also a unique dish in Korea served with noodles. This sauce is black or red beans sauce, it is served with noodles, rice, and bread. Its origin is from China and all across the world it has many names :

• sweet bean sauce
• Sweet flour sauce 
• Sweet wheat paste

In Korea, different dishes are cooked by using this same gravy, sauce, or curry.

 jajangbap”rice with jajang sauce”

This is the rice dish that is served with the red beans sweet sauce. Jajang sauce is usually made by using azuki red beans. They are sometimes crushed into the sauce or served as it is.

This is served with rice and it’s a very delicious dish. Simple steamed rice served with red beans sauce. Moreover, you can add vegetables to this dish for some texture and crunch.

Jajan-tteok-bokki

Tteok-bokki is the simmered rice cake that is served with this amazing red beans sauce, Jajang.

Jajangmyeon served with

MEAT PORTION

This is cooked by adding meat varieties to the seafood options and other

• Pork meat
• Fish
• Prawns
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Crabs
• Squid

VEGETABLES PORTION

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Radish
• Scallions
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Bamboo shoot
• Zucchini
• Korean cabbage

SAUCES

• Oyster sauce
• Soya sayce
• Chunjang

CONDIMENTS

• Boiled hard egg
• Sesame seeds
• Scallions

INGREDIENTS

• jajangmyeon/udon noodles : 1 pack
• Chunjang (춘장) : 1 cup
• Oyster sauce : 5 tbsp
• Soya sauce : 5 tbsp
• Rice vinegar : 5 tbsp
• Corn starch slurry : 1/2 cup
• Chicken stock : 2 cups
• Sugar : 4 tbsp
• Cayenne powder : 2 tsp
• Pork : 250 grams
• Cooking oil : 4 tbsp
• Sesame seeds : 2 tbsp
• Scallions : 2
• Zucchini : 1
• Carrot : 1
• Onions : 1
• Cucumber : 1

COOKING METHOD

• All we need to cook each element separately and assemble them al the end. First of all, take the udon noodles and boil them as per intructions on the packet.
• Each brand of noodles has its own intruction of cooking noodles at specific time and temperature. We need to cook these noodles full soft and mositurized.
• Take cooking oil in the saucepan and add pork meat into it to cook it on medium heat.
• When the meat has changed its color, add sauces like oyster sauce, soya sauce, pepper and cook it for 20 more minutes to get the required consistency of prok meat sauce.
• In other pan, add red beans sauce or Chunjang and add chicken stock with rice vinegar, sugar and high up the heat to cook it on simmering temperature.
• Beans sauce is already cooked, we need to mash those wholes beans into crushed form to get some thick consistency, moreover the corn starch slurry is also added to have thick consistency.
• Now take vegetables and add into the cooking beans sauce, the crunch of vegetables remain same with we need to vanish the rawness of vegetables.
• Cook vegetables in red beans sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, and add pork meat into it.
• Cook all these ingredients all together and this sauce is ready to serve with noodles, that are cooked before.
• Place the cooked noodles into the bowl, add this vegetables, pork, and red beans sauce onto the noodles bowl. Add sesame seeds on the sauce and serve.