The day of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon at Seogwanmyeonog begins with milling buckwheat. Jeju common buckwheat is the base, blended with 5 to 10 percent tartary buckwheat, and each morning we mill slowly on a millstone only as much as that day will use. The flour is not kept long; it is drawn into noodles within 3 hours. Buckwheat begins to lose its scent from the moment it becomes flour. Choosing good buckwheat matters, and so does how finely it is ground and when the noodles are made. Those together are what we think make a good buckwheat noodle.

Why We Add Tartary Buckwheat to Common Buckwheat

The base of our naengmyeon is Jeju common buckwheat. To it we add 5 to 10 percent tartary buckwheat, which carries a clearer scent and color. Tartary buckwheat stands out not only in taste and aroma but in nutrition. It is notably richer in rutin, known as an antioxidant compound, than ordinary common buckwheat.

On the soft taste of common buckwheat, we blend tartary buckwheat in a measured proportion to bring the scent and character of the buckwheat out more clearly. We adjust the mix carefully by season and by the condition of the buckwheat as we make our own buckwheat noodles.

Slowly and Finely, on a Millstone

We use a millstone for more than following an old method. We mill the buckwheat slowly and finely at low temperature and low speed. Reducing the heat that milling produces keeps the delicate scent of the buckwheat, and fine buckwheat flour is an important base for making good noodles from 100% buckwheat alone. That is why we mill only what each day needs, even though it takes longer.

Why 100% Buckwheat Noodles Still Have Spring

100% buckwheat noodles do not have to break apart at every bite. Without the gluten of wheat flour they do not carry the strong chew of ordinary wheat noodles, but milling the buckwheat finely and handling the dough and the noodle making with care brings a measured spring and a firm bite out of the softness that belongs to 100% buckwheat.

This is the point that matters to us. Not a noodle that is only 100% buckwheat by content, but one that keeps the scent of the buckwheat while feeling smooth and pleasantly springy in the mouth. Good grain, milling and noodle making have to come together to make the 100% buckwheat noodles we serve.