''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. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...

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, South Korea Gangwon Province (), officially Gangwon State (), is a administrative divisions of South Korea, Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea. It is known as the largest and population density, least densely populated subdivision of South Korea. ...

and that province's capital city

Chuncheon Chuncheon (; ; literally ''spring river''), formerly romanized as Ch'unch'ŏn, is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the north of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River (Korea), Han R ...

. 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 most commonly bu ...

'', 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 seeds which have been 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'' or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...

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

kimchi Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or 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 (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

. ''

Banchan ''Banchan'' ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. ''Banchan'' are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as ''galbi'' or ''bulg ...

'' (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'' (

mung bean The mung bean or green gram (''Vigna radiata'') is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Green Mung Bean Extract Powder Phaseolus aureus Roxb Vigna radiata L R Wilczek. MDidea-Extracts P ...

pancakes) or '' gamjajeon'' (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 Donga (). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be published in 1982 by Dong-A Publishing (). ...

References

External links

Recipe and info of Makguksu
at Korea Tourism Organization *
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