▲ This is a Pyongyang Nangmyeon with cold broth .

▲ Hamhung nangmyeon is made with chilly pepper paste.

As temperature rises, we tend to prefer a cold food. Also, in many Asian countries, people fight the heat with cold noodle dishes. South Korea, one of the Asian countries, has developed culture of the cold noodle dishes, "naengmyeon". People avoid the heat by eating cold noodles and drinking cold meat broth. However, the suprising fact is that naengmyeon was a food that people ate on winter in history. During the Koryo dynasty, it was difficult to store ice. So, the only season that ancestors could get ice was only winter. But, in 19th century, people start to eat naengmyeon every summer.

Naengmyeon is started in two regions, one is Pyongyang, and the other is Hamhung. First, the recipe of Pyongyang naengmyeon is to make noodles by buckwheat. To make it,pour the cold beef broth and juice of dongchimi in a pot. Lastly, decorate it with beef, vegetables, and boiled egg.

▲ This is a wheat noodles in Busan.

▲ braised pollack naengmyeon is famous in Sokcho.

owder and chilly pepper paste rather than broth. So, South Korean divides the two species into broth and sauce. Other similar noodles are wheat noodles in Busan and braised pollack naengmyeon in Sokcho.

Naengmyeon is also not just a summer food for some Koreans. It is a nostalgic treatment to elderly people who were born in North Korea. In fact, it was firstly made in cold north regions of North Korea. When Korean War happened in 1950s, North Korean moved to South Korea with the recipe to make neangmyeon. So, it was spread in South Korea, too. Because Korea is still divided, the cold noodles has a role to remind their memories when they lived in North Korea.

By 송주연, June 10th