To begin with the conclusion, there is no single set way to enjoy Pyeongyang Naengmyeon.

One of the questions that comes up most often about Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is whether it is all right to add vinegar and mustard. Many people wonder whether adding nothing at all is the proper way, or whether vinegar and mustard take away the flavor the dish already has.

At Seogwanmyeonog we suggest tasting the broth and the buckwheat as they are first, then adding vinegar and mustard as your own taste suggests. There is an order to it, though. When the bowl arrives, taste the broth as it comes and lift one chopstickful of noodles. From there on, it is up to you.

How Should You Add the Vinegar?

If you would like a brighter, cleaner savory note, add a small amount of vinegar. Rather than pouring it straight into the broth, try lifting a chopstickful of noodles and adding the vinegar onto the noodles themselves. If that suits your taste, we recommend adding a little at a time and watching how the flavor shifts, rather than a large amount at the start. Of course you can also add it straight to the broth if you prefer, or trickle a little over the noodles and taste the two together.

What matters is not which side is correct, but finding the taste that is best for you.

How Should You Add the Mustard?

Mustard has a sharp aroma of its own, and even a small amount changes the impression of the whole bowl.

So it helps to stir in a little, taste it, and add more if you want more. As with vinegar, rather than a large amount at the start, taste the broth and the buckwheat first and then adjust to your liking.

Adding Nothing Is Fine Too

Finishing a bowl with no vinegar and no mustard is, of course, just as good.

Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is a dish built on one basic pairing, Hanwoo (Korean beef) broth and buckwheat noodles. Some people like how clean it tastes just as it comes, some like the sourness of vinegar or the sharpness of mustard, and some find the bowl tastes better once that sourness or sharpness is added.

Pyeongyang Naengmyeon has less one right answer than a bowl that each person likes.

There is only one thing we recommend. Taste the first few chopstickfuls as they come. After that, wherever you choose to stop, the bowl is entirely a matter of your own taste.