Naengmyeon for Lunch?

The weather is so hot these days. There are several dishes that people enjoy especially in summer time. One of them is naengmyeon.

Naengmyeon means cold noodles in Korean. This cold noodle dish has thin noodles made with a kind of grain -- the buckwheat. The noodles are usually added to a cold beef or chicken soup. You also put a boiled egg, sliced pieces of cucumber, radish and Korean pear. Vinegar and mustard are also added to make it taste better. This is also called mul-naengmyeon.

Koreans began eating naengmyeon during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 -- 1910). You can find naengmyeon in ¡®Dongguksesigi (µ¿±¹¼¼½Ã±â).¡¯ This is a book on Korean customs written in 1849. You can read about naengmyeon in other history books, too.

Aside from mul-naengmyeon, there is also bibim-naengmyeon. This does not have cold soup. Instead, it is served with red pepper paste and vegetables, similar to bibimbap.

Naengmyeon is interesting because people usually cut the noodles using scissors. It is because the noodles are long and they are not easy to eat.

Now you know about naengmyeon. So, how about trying naengmyeon for lunch today? You will like it!