Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면)

Mul naengmyeon — literally 'water cold noodles' — is a summer institution in Korea, particularly beloved in the northern city of Pyongyang. Chewy, slippery buckwheat noodles are served in an ice-cold, faintly tangy beef-and-dongchimi broth, crowned with thin slices of beef, half a hard-boiled egg, Asian pear, and cucumber. The shock of the icy broth on a hot day is the whole point.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Broth:

• 1 litre (4 cups) good beef stock, chilled or frozen to near-slushy
• 250ml (1 cup) dongchimi (radish kimchi brine) or 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Noodles and Toppings:

• 400g (14 oz) dried naengmyeon buckwheat noodles
• 200g (7 oz) thinly sliced boiled beef (brisket or shank), chilled
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled and halved
• ½ Asian pear, peeled and julienned
• ½ cucumber, julienned
• 4 tsp mustard paste (or wasabi), to serve
• 2 tsp gochugaru or chilli flakes, to serve
• Ice cubes, for serving

Instructions

1. Combine beef stock, dongchimi brine, soy sauce, and sugar. Taste and adjust balance of salt, acid, and sweetness. Refrigerate until ice-cold; for authentic texture freeze partially until slushy.

2. Cook naengmyeon noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until tender but very chewy. Drain and rinse vigorously under ice-cold running water for 1–2 minutes — this firms the texture and removes starch. Divide noodles into 4 deep bowls, twisting each portion into a neat mound.

3. Pour the icy broth over the noodles, adding a few ice cubes to each bowl. Arrange sliced beef, egg halves, pear, and cucumber on top.

4. Serve immediately with a small mound of mustard paste and chilli flakes on the side for guests to stir in to taste.

Cook's Notes: Scissors are traditionally offered at the table for snipping the long noodles — Korean etiquette requires cutting them before eating. If dongchimi brine is unavailable, increase rice vinegar to 3 tbsp and add a small pinch of grated daikon.