Spicy whelks with noodles

Today’s recipe is golbaengi-muchim, one of the most popular side dishes for drinking alcohol (anju) in Korea. Golbaengi-muchim is a sweet, sour, and spicy whelk salad that is enjoyed by many. Whelks are a type of edible sea snails that are high in protein and low in fat. Koreans typically use canned whelks (golbaengi) because they are pre-cooked and soaked in a sweet and savory brine, making them very convenient to use. The chewy texture of the whelks, when mixed with sweet, sour, and spicy seasonings and vegetables, creates a delicious flavor that is really amazing!

Canned golbaengi is widely available in Korean grocery stores worldwide, indicating its popularity among Koreans. However, many non-Koreans also enjoy this dish. Recently, I met a non-Korean American man who told me that golbaengi-muchim was his favorite dish at Korean bars. He was crazy about it!

I posted this recipe years ago, but this is a newly updated version. I’ve reduced the sweetness and added some of the brine from the can to the seasoning sauce. I used to discard the brine, but I found that it enhances the flavor of the dish.

Enjoy the recipe and let me know how yours turns out!

Ingredients

• 1 can of golbaengi (whelks)
• 1 large green onion (dae-pa, or 4 to 5 regular green onions), cut into inch long pieces, then sliced thinly lengthwise
• about 1 ounce onion ¼ cup, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon peeled ginger, minced
• ¼ cup gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons rice syrup (or honey, sugar)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 6 ounces somyeon (thin wheat noodles)
• 1 cup worth peeled Korean pear (or any sweet and crispy pear), cut into matchsticks
• 1 green chili pepper, sliced
• seedless cucumbers (about 1½ cups), sliced into bite-sized pieces

Directions (for 2 servings)

Prepare the ingredients

1. Combine green onion and onion in a bowl. Soak in cold water for 10-30 minutes to reduce the spiciness.
2. Rinse the green onion and onion under cold water until it’s curly and crisp. Drain well.
3. Combine garlic, ginger, gochu-garu, gochujang, vinegar, rice syrup, salt, and soy sauce in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
4. Open the can of golbaengi and drain well, reserving ⅓ cup of the brine.
5. Cut golbaengi into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Cook the noodles

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium high heat and add the noodles. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to prevent them from sticking to each other.
2. The noodles will float to the surface in 2 minutes. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon and cook for another minute.
3. Remove from the heat and strain the noodles in a colander. Rinse them in cold running water, rubbing them with your hands to remove the starch. Drain well.
4. Divide the noodles into 4 roughly equal portions. Roll each portion into a nice ball and place them together on a large plate.

Put it all together

1. Add the golbaengi, cucumber, green chili pepper, sliced onion and green onion to the seasoning sauce in the large bowl. Keep some shredded green onion behind to use as a garnish later. Add the sesame oil and mix well.
2. Pour everything over top of the noodles on the plate.
3. Add the pear over top and then the shredded green onion on top of the pear. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over top and serve right away.

Let’s serve!

1. Everyone should get their own plate. Add some of the noodles, sauce, and golbaengi to their plates, toss with chopsticks, and enjoy!

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