''Mak-guksu'' * () or buckwheat noodles is a Korean

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagop ...

noodle dish served in a chilled

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...

and sometimes with sugar, mustard, sesame oil or vinegar. It is a local specialty of the Gangwon province of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, and its capital city,

Chuncheon Chuncheon (; ; formerly romanized as Chunchŏn; literally ''spring river'') is the capital of Gangwon Province in South Korea. The city lies in the north of the county, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some ...

. Jaengban-guksu is a type of makguksu in which buckwheat noodles and various vegetables are mixed in a tray.

Ingredients and preparation

''Makguksu'' is closely related to ''

naengmyeon Naengmyeon * (, in South Korea) or raengmyŏn (, in North Korea) is a noodle dish of North Korean origin which consists of long and thin handmade noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients, including buckwheat (메밀, ''m ...

'', the archetypal Korean cold noodle dish. However, its differences lie in the high concentration of buckwheat flour in its noodles — the result of the grain being a staple crop in the Gangwon-do area, and the use of greater amounts of vegetables. The dish gets its name "rough noodles" because the buckwheat used is generally unhulled. ''Makguksu'' is usually prepared directly from buckwheat crop, soaked, and ground into a paste. Since buckwheat is less glutinous than most grains, buckwheat flour is particularly difficult to knead, roll, and slice into noodles by hand; thus, the noodles are often created in a hand-cranked noodle-making machine instead. It is difficult to generalise regarding ''makguksu'''s accompanying ingredients. Ingredients are traditionally determined by the customer rather than the restaurant owner, and many restaurants also carry their own unique flavouring recipes. In most cases, ''makguksu'' is very spicy, sometimes seasoned with ''

gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgir ...

'' (hot chile pepper paste). Various types of kimchi can be added as well: '' nabak kimchi'', '' dongchimi'' or '' baechu

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

''. Many recipes also add various vegetables and/or

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or '' As ...

. ''

Banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish o ...

'' (side dishes) vary in equal measure. In the

area, the dish is frequently accompanied by boiled beef or pork; elsewhere, it may be served with ''

bindaetteok ''Bindae-tteok'' (), or mung bean pancake, is a type of ''buchimgae'' (Korean pancake) that originated in the Pyongan Province. * It is made by grinding soaked mung beans, adding vegetables and meat and pan-frying it into a round, flat shape. Et ...

'' (

mung bean The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the Fabaceae, legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata ...

pancakes) or ''

gamjajeon ''Gamja-jeon'' * () or potato pancakes is a variety of '' jeon'', or Korean style pancake, made by pan-frying finely grated potato on a frying pan with any type of vegetable oil until golden brown. History Potatoes may have been introduced ...

'' (potato pancakes).

Chuncheon

''Makguksu'' has become a large part of the identity of the Chuncheon region. In recent decades, a "buckwheat noodle street" featuring more than a dozen ''makguksu'' restaurants has developed in the downtown area. There is a makguksu museum, and the city also hosts the annual Chuncheon Makguksu Noodle Festival, featuring ''makguksu'' tastings and other celebrations.Chuncheon Makguksu Festival
at

Doosan Encyclopedia ''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Group, Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and ...

References

External links

Recipe and info of Makguksu
at Korea Tourism Organization
Makguksu museum

Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival
{{Noodle Buckwheat dishes Chuncheon Korean noodle dishes Mixed noodles Cold noodles

Ingredients and preparation

Chuncheon

See also

References

External links