Pyeongyang Naengmyeon Was Different 100 Years Ago
Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is usually pictured as a clear, restrained broth with buckwheat noodles and a few garnishes. Older records show more variety than that. Broth, garnish and the way of eating differed by season, by region and by house, and vinegar and mustard were added to taste.
Pyeongyang Naengmyeon usually brings to mind a clear, restrained broth, buckwheat noodles and a few careful garnishes.
Naengmyeon in the older records, though, comes in more forms than that. Broth, garnish and the way of eating differed by season, by region and by the house that made it, and seasonings such as vinegar and mustard were added to taste. The one shape familiar to us today was never the whole of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon.
It Was Never Fixed to a Single Recipe
Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is a dish that has come down to us across many tables over a long time. Some versions used a meat broth, some used dongchimi (radish water kimchi), and a way of using both liquids together has also been handed down. There were bowls with plain, sparing garnish and bowls piled generously with meat. Each season had a naengmyeon a little different from the last.
Should You Add Vinegar and Mustard?
This question comes up often over a bowl of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon. In older naengmyeon too, you can find the practice of eating it with vinegar and mustard. What matters is less a rule saying you must add them, or that you must never add them, than tasting the basic flavor of the bowl first and then enjoying it in the way that suits you. Here as well, we recommend tasting the noodles and broth as they are first, then adding a little vinegar and mustard if you like and following how the flavor shifts.
We Do Not Speak of Only One Pyeongyang Naengmyeon
At the center of Seogwanmyeonog is Pyeongyang Naengmyeon made with 100% buckwheat noodles and Hanwoo (Korean beef) broth. We do not read the noodle culture of Pyeongyang as a single form, however. Goldong Naengmyeon, eaten with mushrooms, whole perilla seeds and cold-pressed perilla oil; Matbagi Naengmyeon, with a generous garnish of Hanwoo and pork; Seonbi Naengmyeon, seasoned with a spicy dressing and ground sesame. All of them start from the same 100% buckwheat noodles.
Respecting the roots of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon while opening buckwheat up to be enjoyed in different ways at today's table is how we work.
Our Own Standard Matters More Than Authenticity
The older a dish, the more closely the question follows it: which version is the tradition? Rather than saying that one method alone is the right answer, we care about holding a clear standard for the bowl we make. Respecting an old noodle culture while making a bowl that is ours, with good ingredients and technique from today, is how we carry Pyeongyang Naengmyeon forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Was Pyeongyang Naengmyeon in the past the same as it is now?
- It was not fixed in a single form. Broth, garnish and the way of eating were handed down in many versions, depending on the season and on the region where it was made.
- Does Pyeongyang Naengmyeon always contain dongchimi?
- No. Some versions use a meat broth and others use dongchimi (radish water kimchi). We build our own taste around a Hanwoo (Korean beef) broth.
- What is Seogwanmyeonog's standard for Pyeongyang Naengmyeon?
- Rather than calling one method the authentic one, we care about good buckwheat and Hanwoo broth, same-day milling and noodle-making, and a taste and quality that stay consistent.
References
- Seogwanmyeonog menu stories (/en/story)
