Korean recipes:
Jjajangmyun (blackbean noodles)
Let me introduce you to jjajangmyun. I realized recently why so many people have requested this dish. One of my youtube commenters from Hong Kong said she has seen Koreans eating jjajangmyun very often in a Korean drama. She said the noodles looked very delicious. I was not surprised at her comment because food has a very close connection with culture.
Korean dramas are popular in other Asian countries which are not only stories but also all kinds of things such as food, fashion, and style of make up.
Jjajangmyun is everybody’s favorite food. When I was young, one plate of jja jang myun from a Chinese restaurant always made me excited. We usually order Jja jang myun from a Chinese restaurant and a delivery man brings noodles contained in a specially made tin box in 30 minutes.
I usually ended up covered in jjajang sauce and my mom gave me a Kleenex!
Ingredients:
Noodles (special “myun” for jjajangmyun), black bean paste, half pound of pork belly, sugar, olive oil, potato starch powder, sesame oil, Asian radish, potato, zucchini, onion, cucumber.
Makes 4 servings.
- Cut the of pork into ½ inch (1cm) cubes. Leave the skin on.
- Add ½ tbs of olie oil to a heated wok. When that’s hot, add the pork and stir fry it until it looks crispy.
- When the pork is well cooked and the color turns golden brown, drain all the hot fat and set the pork aside. Leave it in the wok, we’re going to use this later.
- Preheat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tbs of vegetable oil. When that’s hot, add 7 tbs of black bean paste and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Remove the extra oil and set the black bean paste aside.
Cut all vegetables into 0.5 inch cubes and place them on a big plate or tray. You will end up with 1 cup of radish, 1 cup of potato, 1 cup of zucchini, and 2 cups of onion.
- Reheat the crispy pork in your wok over high heat, and add 1 tbs of olive oil.
- Add radish and potato and saute them for 2 minutes. Then add zucchini and onion and saute them for another 2 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of water until all the ingredients are submerged, and close the lid and boil it for 15-20 minutes.
- Open the lid of the wok and skim off the foam from the surface. Add the fried black bean paste from the small skillet and stir it up.
*tip: to check if ingredients are cooked or not, try a sample potato chunk. It should be cooked, not raw. - Mix 2-3 tbs potato starch powder (or corn starch) and 2 tbs water and add it into the boiling soup and stir it. Then the soup will turn into a sticky sauce.
YOU MADE JJAJANG SAUCE!
Now, let’s cook the noodles (“myun”)
For 2 servings, you will need one bunch of noodles from the package.
- Boil water in a big pot, add the noodles and close the lid. Cook for a few minutes according to the direction on the package (around 3 minutes).
- Try one sample noodle to check if it’s cooked properly or not. It should be soft and not stiff at all. If it’s cooked, drain the noodles and place them on a large plate or bowl.
- Reheat the jjajang sauce and put it on the noodles
Serving:
Don’t eat it cold : )
Garnish with cucumber strips on the top of jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.
A new Maangchi clip, and it’s one of my favorite dishes! I will try this one. Gotta get this black bean paste! Spent too many years eating instant jjajang!
July 30th, 2007 at 3:03 pmLooks good!! I can’t wait to try it! =) Thanks Maangchi!
July 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pmHi,andreas, and ginger,
July 30th, 2007 at 4:02 pmyeah, it’s easy to follow the instruction right? chop chop chop!
Hello,
I just wanted to tell you that I found your videos on youtube.com this weekend, and I have watched them all! They are so great.
I am a Korean Drama addict, and came to learn about cooking Korean food from watching them. I am a mom of 3 kids and live in the San Francisco Bay Area–but had never had Korean food until last summer. That is when I started watching k-dramas (I started with My Girl and Full House and moved on from there) and my husband took us to Japantown and we ate at Seoul Garden restaurant. I taught myself to make Bulgogi and Bibimbap, but have been struggling to learn more. I also make a korean chicken stew recipe that I found online (it has potatoes and carrots and red chilli pepper in it).
I am a total “white girl”–blonde, blue eyes–and was raised with typical “American” food. I am a pretty darn good cook–but Korean food is a whole different style to me. I found a Korean Grocery store, and now have a source for my soybean paste and red chilli paste. I use sesame oil in everything now, and tried your salad dressing with the soy sauce and sesame oil tonight–it is so good! The little bit of sugar makes all of the difference.
I have been stuggling with all of the chopping, but your technique is so good—and I am trying to imitate how you do it. I am making the tofu stew tomorrow night. I went to the k-market and got the anchovies (I never would have thought to buy those) and all of the other items for it. I have a great rice cooker, and just ordered a clay pot online today.
I just want to say thank you for uploading your videos–and I anxiously am waiting for more! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this–you are helping me so much!
Take care,
July 31st, 2007 at 2:50 pmLisa
Lisa,
Thanks for your story and email.
I know my decision to make cooking videos was a good one when I hear this kind of story.
I have been to San Francisco some years ago. I still have good memories whenever I think about the city. Beautiful houses on hillsides, ocean. As a tourist, I thought everybody in San Francisco looked cool. Even a beggar on the streets looked fashionable. He was wearing a leather coat which made me surprised.
August 1st, 2007 at 7:36 amHi Maangchi, it’s me again. I made 자장면 before but I didn’t have the right noodles. Thanks for the instructions. Next time I’ll buy the right kind.
I have a question about 된장. Is it supposed to have a hint of sourness? I made the soup with tofu but there was a sour taste that I did not like. Is it from the bean paste? I bought a big tub and I don’t know what to cook with it.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:43 pmJames,
What kind of “Bean paste(Doen Jaang)” did you buy?
It’s not sour taste at all.
You mentioned “tub” which means “tube”? A tube of bean paste?
I wouldn’t buy bean paste or hot pepper paste in a tube.
Brand name “Hae Chan Deul” or “Wang” are good.
When you make “Doenjang stew” or “Doen jang soup”, you should add some dried anchovies or shrimp or clams to make it taste better.
Regarding “Jja Jang Myun”(Black bean noodles), you can eat it with rice instead of noodles if it is not easy for you to find proper noodles.
Thanks,
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pmHi Maangchi, I have seen that special metal box for delivering food in many Korean dramas. Want I am interested to know is: Why do Koreans usually get Jja Jang Myun from a Chinese Restaurant? Is it a Chinese or Korean dish? Just a question that I am interested to know. Thanks!
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:39 amhi,blackaugust,
Did you see the metal box made of tin for delivery of chinese food in a korean drama? : )
Jja jang myun dish is created in Korea, but many koreans think it is chinese food because it is sold in a chinese restaurant. I have never met any chinese who knows about “Jja jang myun” so far.
It is cheap, convenient, and quick lunch for many people. When you order 8 plates of Jja jang myun over the phone, they usually bring it in 30 minutes in a tin box.
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:10 amI love your show. It’s the best. I’m gonna try your kimchee recipe. Please post OYEE kimchee recipe too.
Yumi
August 5th, 2007 at 3:26 amDear,Anonymous,
Oee kimchi (cumcumber kimchi)! sure, when my oee kimchi runs out, I should make a cooking video for you. I made 8 heads of cabbage kimchi yesterday which was an all day project. : ) The recipe is the same as the one in my cooking video.
Be sure to wait until the sweet rice porridge cools down before you mix oysters, green onions,crushed garlic, and strips of radish. I was too busy to explain it in my cooking video.
And after putting your kimchi in a container, be sure to seal it tightly by pressing the top with your hand to prevent air from coming inside.
August 5th, 2007 at 9:33 amHi Maangchi! I’m back to watch the video because I needed to write down the ingredients. Just a question though for the black bean paste. Is that the same one that’s used in Chinese dishes? For example, clams in black bean sauce? I have a small jar of XO Black Bean paste but I can’t imagine using that for this recipe. Can you just clarify for me?
August 5th, 2007 at 9:41 pmThanks!! =)
Ginger,
August 5th, 2007 at 11:43 pmI am not sure!
I buy blackbean paste at a korean grocery store. It’s called “Chun Jang” or “Jja jang”.
I have never seen blackbean sauce which contains clams in it.
The color of chunjang is very black and salty.
When you buy it in a korean grocery, get it brand name “haechandeul”.
Good luck with Jja jang myun.
Hi Maangchi,
Thanks for the new video. I would also like to see the oee kimchi recipe. I have a ton of cucumbers this year and I like them much better pickled than fresh. I think I will try jja jang myun in a restaurant before I try cooking it. This looks like a good, hearty dish.
August 7th, 2007 at 6:27 pmHi,Lilian,
August 7th, 2007 at 8:48 pmsure, right after my oee kimchi(cucumber kimchi) runs out, I will make a video.
Thanks,
Thanks for the recipes! My teenage daughters and I love to watch Korean dramas and have become interested in Korean cooking from them! We live in Panama and my daughters do some Japanese cooking they learned from my mother-in-law who is Japanese, but we are excited to try the spicier Korean cooking too.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:47 pmThanks!
lisa in panama
Hi, Lisa from Panama,
I’m smiling at your story that your interest in korean cooking comes from Korean dramas! Unfortunately, I don’t have much chance to see Korean dramas.
The other day, I went to a hair salon run by a Korean in koreatown. I asked my hairdresser if he sees people eating food in Korean dramas. He said,
August 9th, 2007 at 9:00 pm“Yes, right. a couple of days ago, at the end of work, all we were watching a Korean drama while working, and saw some people eating jja jang myun which made my mouth watery. Right after finishing work, all my employees and I went to a restaurant to eat Jja jang myun”
I love your jajangmyun video!!
I’ve been looking for a recipe that is good for a while, and items that I can actually find in my local asian grocery store!
I have a question though, I know this is unrelated to jjangmyun but what is this korean dish? My grandmother always use to make it for me and they serve it alot in restaruants.
Its a stone bowl, that is heated so its very hot and on the bottom there is rice and layers of meat vegetables and bean sprouts and then you either crack a un-cooked egg on top of the bowl and mix it all together or put a fried egg on top. I’m really curious what it is called! ><
August 15th, 2007 at 6:46 amhi,tokii,
It’s called “Dol sot bibimbab”. Dol sot means stone bowl. : )
Your grandmother must be an expert in cooking : )
August 15th, 2007 at 6:57 amI made this for dinner tonight…delicious!
August 21st, 2007 at 7:17 pmPlease keep making more videos!
lisa in panama
Hi there! i just made the jja jung myun right after watching your video~! ITS SOOO YUMMY!! taste like the ones in resturants!! except with less grease which is what i wanted~ thank you for teaching us how to make it!! i love watching your cooking videos~!
January 15th, 2008 at 12:02 amHi there! I just made Ja Jung Myun after watching your video today! it was SOO YUMMY!! taste like the ones i had in restaurants! except with less grease which is what i always wanted~ =) I really love your cooking videos! thank you for showing us how to cook these delicous korean recipes!
January 15th, 2008 at 12:05 amRena,
January 15th, 2008 at 6:59 amI’m glad to hear your success in making jja jaang myun.
Hi,Maangchi:
First thank you for all your efforts. I made grilled beef the other day. It was soooooo awsome. I just have one question about “jja jaang myun”. From what I saw from videl, you made a big amount of “jja jaang myun” sauce, however you only use a small portion on noddles. What do you do with the rest? Can it be kept for a long time for later convinience?
Thanks
January 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pmHi,fifth
January 16th, 2008 at 10:42 pmYes, I kept the left over jja jaang sauce in my refrigerator for a couple of days. But no more than 1 week! : ) You can reheat it and put it on fresh warm noodles when you eat it again. No problem.
hi, i was suearching for ways to make jja jang myun… finally i saw ur video in you tube i came to your blog. well, i havent tried it yet but i does look tasty.. would love to try it.. so, i have aquestion, what noodle to use? there is a special noodle for jja jang myun right? so, what if i can’t find it at my place.. what other noodle could work? do you have the recipe to make the noodle?thanks
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:13 amYes, there are spcial noodles for jja jaang myun. They are more chewy
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 amand thiker than usual noodles. The noodles are usually sold frozen.
Thanks, the jja jiang is a success, very yummy. But not the noodle, I can’t find your noodle. I bought another korean brand frozen noodle which is very soft. I only like hard, chewy elastic noodle. Did you use Wang oriental style noodle? Have I got the name correct? I have been searching from korean stores here but couldn’t find this brand. Are there other brands which I can use? I have been searching for this hard chewy noodle for years. I know they must be available because the jja jiang myun served from the korean restaurants here is really chewy. I tried many brands already but still failed to find it. Please help me, Maangchi!!! (tho’ the jja jiang is also very good on rice, hard chewy noodle is still my favourite)
Thank you!!!
ruth
January 26th, 2008 at 2:36 amHi,Gourmet Ruth, : )
January 26th, 2008 at 9:57 amI can’t help smiling while reading your comment. I can see how desperately you are looking for the hard chewy noodles.
I’m sure you will be able to find the noodles. You said, “Wang” ? or “Wong” I guess. I have never paid attention to a brand name when I buy the noodles. Go to freezer section at a korean grocery store and find thick noodles wrap in plastic wrap.
I wish I could visit a korean grocery store with you to get it for you. : )
Or ask a grocery owner “I would like to buy noodles for Jja Jjang Myun”
Thanks, Maangchi. I don’t want you to shop the noodle with me, I want to actually eat all the food you cook for this blog instead!!! Anyway, I’ll keep searching for the noodle. Shall let you know when it’s found.
ruth
January 31st, 2008 at 3:17 amRuth,
January 31st, 2008 at 6:11 amI hope you have no problme with finding the noodles.
I want to thank you for posting your recipes and instruction! I cooked Jja jang Myun for Valentine’s Day and it was a huge success! My boyfriend’s mother was very satisfied with it when she tasted it! They said it was better than it is in the restaurants!
Thanks again Maangchi for all of your help! I look forward to cooking more of your recipes!
Shaye.
February 17th, 2008 at 8:19 pmShaye,
February 18th, 2008 at 12:23 amI’m glad to hear about your successful jja jang myun!
Thank you for letting me know about it.
i dont eat pork. is it neccessary to put it to make the sauce?
how come in the k-dramas, the sauce seems to be darker and thicker?
looks tasty anyways.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:36 pmHi, Anonymous who don’t eat pork
February 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pmI used beef instead of pork. If you don’t eat meat, skip it. It’ll still be delicious as long as you make delicious stock. You like korean dramas? I know there are many scenes of eating food in Korean dramas. : ) I don’t know about the color of this dish. Mine is the most delicious! : )
Thank you for the recipe! It is so delicious, all your recipes are amazing! Thanks for teaching us Korean recipes!
February 27th, 2008 at 12:27 amJen,
February 27th, 2008 at 8:23 pmIt sounds like you made some dishes from my recipes. Very good!
Hi Maangchi,
So I finally tried jja jang myun in a restaurant last night. I have to admit I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I’m not sure if it’s the way the restaurant made it or if it’s simply not something I’m wild about. They didn’t put as many vegetables in it as you did and the meat pieces were so tiny I could barely find them. Also the sauce seemed really thick. All I can say is that when you cook, the food looks sooooo good! Sometimes reality can’t live up to my imagination of how it tastes.
My mom got a beef and kimchi stew with yam noodles, which was really tasty. At the next table they had a hot stone bowl with tofu soup, which I think I’ll try next time. While I was there I got a radish for the beef and radish soup. I’ll let you know how it turns out. If I can find my camera I’ll send pictures too!
March 19th, 2008 at 4:17 pmlillian,
I see you are gradually becoming a connoisseur about korean food!
I imagine you are looking around other people’s dishes at a restaurant to see what they are eating.
CUTE!
Now you can judge like this, “this food is good or not good, or so so.” : )
If we meet together someday, I’m sure we will have fun talking about korean food hours and hours.
When I meet Deborah who is in my kimchi stew video, we always talk about food.
Yes, you are right. It’s hard to find a good restaurant for Jja jang myun.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:29 pmMaagchi.. thanks for your jjajang myun recipe! I’m looking forward to try it! Looks very yummy…
hmm does it matter if you use fresh jjang noodle or dried ones(in the packet like spagetthi)?
cus i think it’s hard to find fresh jjajang noddle…
looking forward for your next recipe!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:53 amWinny,
April 9th, 2008 at 5:33 amFresh jja jang noodles which is sold frozen, is more chewy than dried noodles.But if it’s hard for your to find it, you can use any thick noodles.
I think “Jja jang myun” might be a variation of a Chinese dish called “Zha jiang mian” (lit. fried sauce noodle). My grandmother used to make it for me. It’s a northern regional dish, so it wouldn’t be surprising that Chinese from other parts of the country might not know about it.
I’m so glad I found your videos. Even though I grew up in a Chinese household, Korean food is definitely something I crave more than mom’s cooking (but don’t tell her that!).
May 4th, 2008 at 3:00 amHi Maangchi.
Today I specifically went out of my way to the huge Chinese market in the city to get all my Asian goodies. I found Jja jang myun sauce (yes!) and I also got everything to make kimchi (I’m determined to make it right this time).
I didn’t find jja jang myun noodles but what I did get were fresh Chinese wheat/egg noodles. They aren’t white like I see on your video-they have this sort of light grey/beige hue. Does this sound right to you?
Oh, and I couldn’t find potato starch anywhere! There was corn starch however. How important is it that I use potato starch?
I hope you’ll get back to me asap-I would like to make this for my very good friend who is coming to visit me tomorrow. :-)
Thank you!!!
May 25th, 2008 at 4:20 pmYoung Hee,
Yes, you can use either corn starch or potato or sweet potato starch. For jja jang myun, it’s very important because it will make the sauce thicker and shiny.
The noodles for jja jang myun should be chewy, so do you think the noodles you picked will be chewy?
Let me know how your party goes later. : )
May 26th, 2008 at 12:15 amThanks
Thank you so much for posting a VIDEO— that makes it so much easier to understand! And also for annotating all the ingredients that I’m not familiar with (I didn’t know they SOLD black bean paste!). This is amazing, thank you. I hope you get to host a korean cooking show on foodnetwork!!
May 26th, 2008 at 10:42 pmMindy mindy,
May 27th, 2008 at 12:03 amThank you very much! You did not know they sell black bean paste? : )
안녕하세요 Maangchi씨! 짜장면 looks delicious! I hope on Tuesday (that’s when I going to a korean market called 시온마겟,but I think i spelled that wrong)I can find the ingredients for the dish. Oh and since there’s a little restaurant that serves 짜장면, i think i’m going to order some so I will kind of know what it tastes like before i make it myself!
Do you need the zucchini and radish? Is there any other vegetables I could use instead?
Anyways, 감사합니다! (by the way, I’m trying to learn korean >_< but I’m still at a beginner level)
June 1st, 2008 at 9:00 pmHi,rooraa,
It sounds like you have never tasted jja jang myun so far.
That’s a good idea of trying it at a restaurant before making your own jja jang myun.
Skip Zucchini and radish if you don’t have or don’t like them.
Use more onion and potato then.
Good luck with your learning Korean language!
June 1st, 2008 at 9:26 pmHi Maangchi,
Thanks for all the videos! You have made my life so much easier - I don’t have to worry about what to make for dinner anymore. i just watch your videos and making dinner is easier than ever! As I watched jja jang myun video, I’m wondered why you used radish and sweet potato… What kind of taste does radish add to jja jang myun? What about sweet potato? Is it better than just plain potato? I’m curious, is there a reason why you chose these vegetables? I don’t recall eating radish or sweet potato in jja jang myun before and I would like to know if they make the dish especially yummy ; ) Thanks!
June 15th, 2008 at 1:43 amHi, Anonymous,
You want to learn how to make jja jang myun, right? That’s the recipe! : )
I mentioned “You can use either potatoes or sweet potatoes” in the video and also you don’t have to use radish if you don’t have.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:45 ami always miss korean food back home because they dont really have in it Glasgow. but since i stumbled upon your blog i’ve been a very happy girl.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:07 pmIve tried a few of your recipe so far and i’m loving it. thanks very much!
hello :) i love your videoss :) im looking forward to make this dish =] but by any chance do you know how to make tangsuyok? if you dont its fine (: thankss again =]
June 24th, 2008 at 10:56 ambebepark1
June 24th, 2008 at 6:28 pmyes, I know how to make tang su yook (sweet sour and crispy beef or pork). It’s one of dishes requested by others, too. Thank you for your request.
maangchi, I just found your website and videos. I love it!! I’m chinese and my husband is korean. I’ve been making a lot of korean food with recipes from koreakitchen.com. But your videos just make it so much easier!! So far we love your veggie pancake and soon tofu recipes, I can’t wait to make more!
BTW, jia jiang myun is a chinese food from the northern region. Many northern chinese restaurants sell them, along with dumplings, etc. People from the south, such as from hong kong do not know this variation of jia jiang myun.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:52 pmWendy,
July 7th, 2008 at 6:56 amI was told from one of my friends who used to live in China that jja jang myeon is actually sold in China. Yes, now I’m sure the dish is from China. Thank you!
I’m Korean-Am and grew up on JJa Jang Myun - its like mashed potatoes to me. Best comfort food, bar none. Recently, a Chinese friend pointed me to a tiny noodle shop in Chinatown (NYC) where they hand-pull their noodles and make Chinese-style JJa Jang Myun. Delicious! And quite different from Korean JJa Jang Myun.
- Jane
July 7th, 2008 at 11:08 pmHello Maangchi,
I used spaghetti instead of the Jja Jang noodles.
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/aga-suka/article?mid=375
I hesitate to make Jja Jang Myun, because all the previous attempts were failure.
The jar of Jja Jang had sit in the fridge for 2 years. Today I use your method, it turned out good. Heating up the Jja Jang before use it a very important step! However, it’s difficult for me to love it … Good tasting Jja Jang Myun cannot erase my memory of poor quality Jja Jang Myun…
I believe that Jja Jang Myun is from “Northern” China also. I had tried that kind of Jja Jang Myun is very similar to the Korean version.
July 8th, 2008 at 2:06 amJane,
July 8th, 2008 at 8:22 amyayee! I am going to look for the noodle store when I go to china town. Thank you for the tip!
Can you use Chinese style black bean sauce?
http://www.asiamex.com/proddetail.cfm?CFID=447999&CFTOKEN=683248&ItemID=322&CategoryID=36&SubCatID=121
July 9th, 2008 at 11:59 amHi,
July 10th, 2008 at 8:18 amI don’t think so. You should get the black bean paste at a Korean grocery store to get the exact taste of jja janag myeon in my recipe.
hi!!
July 18th, 2008 at 4:58 pmi love eating jja jang myun
in chinese, we call it “ja jiang mien”, almost the same :) i love eating these when i go out to eat in chinese restuarants, thank you for the recipe so i can make it at home!
selina,
July 18th, 2008 at 5:18 pmJja jang myeon was from China! : )
hi maangachi eonni!
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:48 pmi am trying to make jja jang myun this weekend but i am just wondering is it possible to replace pork belly and asian radish for something else?? if i change it alot is the taste going to change a lot???
thanks
Hi,anonymous,
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:44 pmYou can skip radish, but should use some meat at least. If you can’t eat pork belly, how about using beef? Use more onion and potato if you don’t use radish. It will be delicious. Let me know how your jja jang myeon turns out later. Thanks!
Hi Maangchi, I made this the other day and it was so good! When I was young I used to eat Chapagetti from the packet now I realise how much better the real thing is. It was really easy to make, and I didn’t have any radish but I used some carrots and it turned out extremely delicious. Here’s a photo of the sauce http://www.flickr.com/photos/17652992@N00/2716078019/ and of it finished with noodles http://www.flickr.com/photos/17652992@N00/2716078271/
July 30th, 2008 at 8:44 amMelissa,
July 30th, 2008 at 9:41 amIt looks awesome! I posted the picture of your jja jang sauce on my blog. Thanks,
maangchi unni,
August 8th, 2008 at 12:47 ami made you jajangmyun last week, your ddukboki a couple days ago and your japchae today!
thanks for helping me in my learning of cooking korean food! your videos and recipes are so helpful! keep them coming!!
Anonymous,
August 8th, 2008 at 6:36 amJobchae, dduk bok kie, jja jang myun
that’s what you have made! Wonderful!
Can you make a recipe for Chapagetti? ^_^
August 19th, 2008 at 1:21 amquestion, what is potato starch powder?
August 24th, 2008 at 9:55 ami cant really find it.
hmmm maybe you can give the korean name so its easier to ask the korean grocery?
마리,
August 24th, 2008 at 7:07 pmoh, I should post the photo of potato starch powder on my ingredient category. I will post it soon. It’s called Jeon boon in korean (전분). You will have to prepare it to make jja jang myeon and other dishes. It helps thicken soup or sauce.
I made your Jja jang myun recipe today for my dinner. It was my first time making jja jang but it was SOOO~~~ good!! It tasted better then at the korean restaurants! I love your recipes. Thanks so much!
P.s. You should open a restaurant! You’d be a great success!
August 30th, 2008 at 7:17 pm샤넨,
August 30th, 2008 at 7:44 pmCongratulation on your successful jja jang myun making!
hey there Maangchi ^^!
September 1st, 2008 at 3:07 ami really wanna try your Jja ja myun someday !
but i have a question here (:
instead of using pork, what do you recommend me to replace it with? is chicken suitable?
thanks for your time ^^!
your Site rocks ! Maangchi jjang ! XD
raiihana,
September 1st, 2008 at 8:38 amYes, you can replace pork with beef, chicken, or seafood such as shrimp, scallop, and squid.
A friend of mine showed me your video. THANK YOU for doing this. I LOVE korean food, but never learned how to make it. My mom would cook when i wasn’t around so I grew up not knowing how to cook. I can’t wait to try all your receipes.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:27 pmGloria,
September 1st, 2008 at 4:38 pmThank you for your comment. Let me know how your Korean cooking turns out later.
i tried making this months ago..even though it made a lot, my family finished all of it in one sitting!it is really good!cant wait to make mandu next..
September 4th, 2008 at 3:31 amTottaly love this lady..after watching korean movies and seeing them eat these popular dishes..i wanted to try to make them and who then better to show me teh best and easiest ways to make these delicous foods..maangchi!!!!
September 12th, 2008 at 2:41 pmJohnloveskdrama,
September 12th, 2008 at 4:37 pmhaha, thank you very much!
Maangchi, thank you so much for posting this recipie! I just made my first batch of Jja jang, and it turned out delicious. I used to have this every week when I stayed in Korea, I’m happy I can now make it at home.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:35 pmSeth,
September 12th, 2008 at 10:16 pmCongratulation!
Hi Maangchi!!
I am soo happy to have found your site. I plan to make EVERYTHING!! I am especially excited about Jja jiang myun because this was my favorite childhood dish and my mom never made it at home! Only had it in the restaurant.
One question- do you know how to make jangjorim gogi? I also loved this one!!
thanks again,
Jeannie
September 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pmJeannie,
September 13th, 2008 at 6:52 pmWelcome to my site! Jangjorim is one of side dishes requested by many people. I will try to post it someday soon. Thanks,
Thanks Maangchi! It came out ok but I should’ve went by your video and not the actual measurements in the directions. I put 7 cups but was way way too much…maybe its more like 2 cups. When I watched the video I thought…aww man!! haha
September 16th, 2008 at 7:35 pmBut was still good and now I know for next time!
Jen,
September 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pmhaha, see? trust me!
you made jjajang soup instead of jja jang sauce.
(I’m not laughing at you but teasing you)
Oh no! I do trust you! Just that when I actually went back to make it I looked over at the written part of the recipe and it said 7 cups…so thats what I used. Oh well I should’ve remembered from the video. But maybe you want to change it to 2 cups…or just say enough to cover everything…just only a suggestion. But yes it really was more like a soup…still tasty tho! Thank you!!
September 19th, 2008 at 7:47 pmJen,
September 20th, 2008 at 6:34 amSorry! I may have to change my written recipe. I’m going to make jjajangmyeon soon and follow the measurement exactly and find out how many cups of water should be added. Important thing is to pour water until all ingredients are submerged. Thank you for letting me know about it. : )
Hii
September 21st, 2008 at 2:39 amJja jang myun is cooked by chinese people too, it is a tiny bit different though. When you say it in chinese, it is almost the exact same as how to say it in korean, this looks very yummy so i’m hoping to make it very soon ^-^
Summa,
September 21st, 2008 at 7:16 amYes, I know jjajangmyeon was originated from China. : )
[...] - one of many opinions I shared with my dad about Korean cuisine. Nevermind that Koreans consider jajangmyeon to be a Chinese dish; none of the Chinese-owned Chinese restaurants I knew even offered it. [...]
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:40 amhi maangchi.
i tasted jjajangmyeon in a korean restaurant here in the philippines with my korean friends. i loved it since then. i’ve been wanting to make it at home. thank you for the recipe.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:08 amnina, let me know how your jjajangmyeon turns out later.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:48 amhey I’m from australia and I’ve always wanted to try Jja Jang Myun , and when i found your video on youtube i was sooo looking forward to making it. problem is that i can’t find the black bean paste anywhere here in Australia! :( i even tried the Asian grocery stores
October 5th, 2008 at 1:27 amHi, hmm so I’ve made a few of ur dishes, and came out pretty well.. but lol this jajang ..well it turned out alrite, not the best i’ve had.. When i made it, it looked good, but the taste was very light. Wasn’t strong enough taste. Should i have put more jajjang sauce? Wouldnt that make it salty? Cause i remember at restaurants its thick, black, and strong flavor.. Mine was just blah.. help~
October 9th, 2008 at 8:36 amhaha, bt the way, i made ur kimchi.. Oh my god.. i put like 4 cups of gochugaru.. -_-.. spiciest kimchi i ever had in my life.. LOL i shouldve just put like 1 and 1/2 cup at most 2!.. LOL after i poured in the gochu garu.. i was like… is maangchi sure about 4 cups ….-_- LOL! well regardless, luckily i east spicy food very well, so it was alrite.. but my bf can’t eat it period.. Way too spicy for him LOL..
October 9th, 2008 at 8:41 amLinda,
You are right. I don’t use much jjajang (black bean paste) in Jjajang sauce because I really cut down salt in my food these days. But as you see, I use lots of ingredients which makes the sauce delicious.
You can adjust the recipe to your taste of course. Put more blackbean paste in the sauce then, but be careful, it’s very salty. And also put less hot pepper flakes in your kimchi if it’s too spicy for you.
I have been making my own kimchi for decades, so I sometimes use spicy kimchi and sometimes less spicy kimchi. It depends on my mood.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:19 amHi, all,
I made my jjajangmyeon by following my recipe today because a few people pointed out their jjajangmyeon turned out too bland.
I exactly followed the measurements in the recipe and found out some were wrong! I don’t know what happened to me when I wrote down the recipe!
I corrected the recipe and already updated it.
Thank you Linda and Jen! Without your comments, I probably would never have found the wrong measurements.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:37 pmHi Maangchi!
October 10th, 2008 at 9:57 amYour JJajangmyun really looks great. You see one of my early favorites in Korean dishes is the jjajang especially sacchhon jjajang!! I really love eating that! I’m Filipina and I work in a Korean grocery store for five years now, that’s why I’m very familiar with all the ingredients you use because we sell all of it in the store. So, when I feel like cooking my favorite Korean dish, I know what to use! I’m really glad I found your site, you really made my dream come true–cooking authentic Korean dishes!!
Churchie,
oh, you are working at a Korean grocery store in the Philippines! Wonderful! Where in the Philippines?
You know my website has “forum” section? You can leave your Korean grocery store address and contact number under “Where do you buy Korean ingredients?”. If you do, it will be big help for those who are looking for Korean grocery stores in your area.
Thank you very much!
October 10th, 2008 at 4:37 pmMaangchi, I work in Koreana Grocery in Cebu City, Philippines!! Many KOrean tourists travel here and many have also settled here like my boss who’s been here for 12 yrs or so, coz his children are studying here in international school. I really love your food, and I think you’re lovable too!! Do you also get mad?? Don’t get me wrong, isn’t it that most KOreans are very temperamental? But you seem like an angel!! LOve your dishes!
October 11th, 2008 at 6:39 amChuchie,
October 11th, 2008 at 8:17 amWherever you go or whomever you meet, you will see there are some good people and bad people. : )
아! THIS IS THE ONE THAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ><
October 15th, 2008 at 7:24 amI’ve seen jjajangmyun in almost every Korean dramas I watched! It looks extremely yummy o_0 I’m a huge fan of your cooking web! awesome :D I’ll try this recipe as soon as possible ! :D
Oh, I have one tiny question. Can I exchange the pork with beef? cause I can’t eat pork :)
deppbbey,
October 15th, 2008 at 7:40 amyes, you can use beef for this recipe. Thank you!
maangchi, ur videos are so good, ive been addicted to them since i first tried making kimchee..Thumbs up!
i got a question about hae chan deul, is it purely black bean paste only without any hint of alcohol? bcoz i cant take many kinds of food like pork and alcohol..is there any other brands than this? if i use any brands as long as it is ‘black bean paste’, would it be ok?
i truly2 wanted to try eating jjajangmyun! it looks soooo delicious in those K-dramas! hoping to see more of ur videos!!
October 17th, 2008 at 4:00 amyue,
I don’t think it contains alcohol, but it’s fermented.
Why don’t you ask this question on the Forum under “general discussion” category. You may get a good answer from someone else.
Yeah, you can use other brands, too. Thank you!
October 17th, 2008 at 7:43 amHello Maangchi,
I tried your recipe the other day, and it turned out so great! Loved the dish since years ago, yet never imagined myself cooking the food. My husband-from Slovakia-even loved jjajangmyun!! First time, I used beef, but for the second attempt I added bacon which, I think,has better taste. Anyway, many thanks for your videos.
Just one more thing. I’d like to ask you a BIG favor.
Can you possibly show us how to make ‘gogumatang - sticky sweet potato snack’?
Thanks from new zealand.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:43 pmJenny,
October 19th, 2008 at 7:49 pmWo~nderful news! You made good jjajangmyun!
oh, you know about matang? Yes, it’s one of my upcoming video recipes. Thank you!
That looks so incredibly good. I will definately go to Seewoo and buy the ingredients and try to make it.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:11 amI am from Taiwan and now live in New York state. I have always loved Korean food. Glad that I found Maangchi’s website. The video tapes are really helpful. Made jjajangmyun last week according to her recipe. The flavor is excellent(brought back many memories from childhood!) however the potato in it made the dish gritty. Next time I will use dried tofu instead.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:27 pmhi maangchi,…
October 30th, 2008 at 10:24 pmtenkiuuu for posting the video,..its really great,i’m from singapore,the first time i tried Jjangmyun when a lived at washington DC 2001,…n the taste it’s very good,n i loves watching korean dramas too..n today i alreaady cooking Jjangmyun from your videoo,yippiiii thank a lot maangchi…
chi,
oh, you are living in New York! Let’s meet on my next meet up event. By the way, potato is a very essential ingredient for jjajangmyun.
echa,
October 30th, 2008 at 10:53 pmtenkiuuu for your comment!
Sure. Love to. E-mail me the detail.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:01 pmi cant find the jjangjang brand noodles in seewoo x( can i use any wheat noodle?
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 amI am visiting Panama City, Panama for business and would greatly appreciate it if you could tell the me location of a Korean restaurant and Korean grocery. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:03 amSorry Joe I don’t know much about Panama. Leave your question in my forum, maybe someone else can answer? http://www.maangchi.com/talk/
November 4th, 2008 at 8:11 amHi Maangchi…
November 13th, 2008 at 1:30 amI’m Julia from Malaysia. Most Malaysian are Muslims…
We don’t eat pork and any kind of wine/alcohol as well. But I love some of Korean food n must make sure that it is HALAL (not forbidden by our region). There’s minority group in Korea which are Muslims right?I hope one day you can show me the HALAL food from Korea.
Julia Antasha,
November 13th, 2008 at 6:49 amThank you for your interest in my recipes.
I know Muslims don’t eat pork, but did not know they don’t drink any kind of alcohol. I don’t know much about HALAL. I should do some research about it.
oh my gosh, i’ve always wanted to try jjajangmyun because of korean dramas, lol. would taking out the pork affect the dish at all? cause i dont eat meat and the whole maple leaf thing going on. thanks for posting the recipe and video!
November 16th, 2008 at 9:03 pmChristina
November 17th, 2008 at 8:49 amIf you don’t eat meat, how about seafood(shrimp, scallop)? I don’t think it is tasty if you skip meat or seafood.
Hiya,
Quick question. I’ve been using Mochiko rice flour in sauces instead of corn starch ever since I bought it for kimchi a while back. It works surprisingly well! Do you think it could be used in jjajangmyun instead of potato starch? Or would it make the sauce too gluey . . .
November 20th, 2008 at 3:38 pmMaya,
November 20th, 2008 at 5:24 pmYes, if you use sweet rice powder too much, the sauce may look like porridge. I usually don’t use sweet rice powder for jjajang sauce, but as you said, it seems to be ok. Go for it. ; 0)
Hi Maangchi:
I had Jjajamyun in a Korean Restaurant here in Panama C.A., because I have heard of it so many times of it in the dramas and it was OK, but last night a cooked it following your recipe and it was totally delicious.
Thank you so much!!!
November 24th, 2008 at 9:48 amanyonghaseyo, eum shik eul nomu djoha hamnida! ever since i moved out of my mom’s house to go to university, i’ve badly craved korean food. finally, i get to cook it myself! especially yug gae jang, sun dubu chigae, bibimbab and jia jiang myun are some of my all time favorites! i am going to surprise my mom with a korean dish made with the help of your videos! before, i never bothered to try those, because the recipes are usually too complicated. its so much easier with these videos!
November 24th, 2008 at 4:42 pmthank you so much for saving me from starving here!
silvia from the netherlands :)
Vickie,
Congratulation on your successful jjajangmyeon making!
silvia from netherlands,
November 24th, 2008 at 9:10 pmWow, you can make so many kinds of Korean dishes! I’m happy to hear that. You made it!~
Maangchi! you are so great! I already tried 5 dishes from ur videos. Jap Chae/Hot & Spicy rice cakes/냉면/짬뽕/and cinnamon punch!!! U makes the best Korean food ever! :-)… when I watched ur Jjajangmyeon video, I really liked the background song..could u please tell me what the song title is? :-) thanks and keep up the good work!
November 27th, 2008 at 2:46 amFelix,
November 27th, 2008 at 11:44 amYou are great, too! I mean you are a great cook! The music is “Police on My Back” by Clash. I posted it in the description of the recipe now. Thanks,
Maangchi,
December 4th, 2008 at 1:17 amThank you for posting this recipe. I remember as a child my mom would cook this for me and after I was done eating it I would have the sauce all over my face. It’s a great dish. I’m glad you have this site now I can make Korean dishes for my husband and his family.
~Victoria
Victoria,
December 4th, 2008 at 7:36 amhaha, you would have jjajang sauce all over your face! Good memory, right?
[...] great recipe from Maangchi.com. I was nervous to make this. I generally do not like to make Korean food. It’s [...]
December 5th, 2008 at 12:15 amHappy Days!!! I finally found the recipe with your fine demonstration of how to cook Jjajamyun. I have been searching since 1994 for this recipe with no success. I have asked my favorite Chinese restaurant to fix it and they just laugh at me.
Now I am set! I will visit the oriental markets this week to find the black bean paste. I have found black bean paste with garlic, but not just black bean paste.
I spent a year in Peyontech in 1983-1984 and 1993-94 and was introduced to many fine Korean dishes. Thank you for your contributions! I am truly a happy man now that I can reproduce one of my favorite meals! Keep up the great work!
Bob
December 21st, 2008 at 8:02 pmBob H,
December 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pmhaha, since 1994, you have been looking for the recipe for jjajangmyeon! I’m very happy that you got the recipe from me now. Let me know how your jjajangmyeon turns out when you cook it.
BTW, “bob (밥)”means “cooked rice” in Korean. I’m sure you already know it. ; )