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Noodles with blackbean sauce

Jjajangmyeon 짜장면

Hello hello everybody! : )

I’m re-introducing jjajangmyeon recipe (noodles in black bean sauce) to you today with a new, updated video. I originally uploaded a video showing you how to make jjajangmyeon in 2007, not long after I started posting to YouTube. Yes, it was 5 years ago! Time flies too fast!

That video was so popular that I decided to make a new version that’s easier to follow, and also shows you how to make jjajangbap with rice instead of noodles.

Jjajangmyeon is everybody’s favorite food. It’s actually a very popular Korean Chinese dish, created by early Chinese immigrants in Korea, catering to Korean tastes. Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) is another example. The almost caramel taste of the savory black bean sauce over the thick, chewy wheat flour noodles makes for a really unique taste and texture. When I was young, a plate of jjajangmyeon from a Chinese restaurant always made me excited. When you order it delivered they bring you the noodles in a special tin box in under 30 minutes! I usually ended up covered in jjajang sauce and my mom had to give me a Kleenex.

Koreans even have a nonofficial celebration for jjm on April 14th, when single people celebrate their shared loneliness on Black Day with a bowl of jjajangmyeon.

Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients for  2-3 servings

  • jjajangmyeon noodles
  • ½ pound pork belly, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1½ cups’ worth)
  • 1 cup of Korean radish (or daikon), cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth)
  • 1 cup of zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 cup of potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1½ cups of onion chunks
  • 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon of chunjang (Korean black bean paste)
  • 2 tablespoons of potato starch powder, combined with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside
  • 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish
  • water

Directions for making jjajang sauce

  1. Stir-fry the pork belly in a large, deep wok (or pan) with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
  2. Pour out the excess pork fat.
  3. Add radish and stir fry for 1 minute.
  4. Add potato, onion, and zucchini and keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the potato looks a little translucent.
  5. Clear a space in the center of the wok by pushing the ingredients to the edges.
  6. Add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the center of the wok, then add ¼ cup of black bean paste and stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to fry it. Then mix everything in the wok and keep stirring.
  7. Add  2 cups of water to the wok and let it simmer and cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
  8. Open the lid and taste a sample of the radish and potato. If they’re fully cooked, stir in the starch water little by little. Keep stirring until it’s well mixed and thick.
  9. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
    jjajangmyeon
  10. Serve with noodles (jjajangmyeon) or steamed rice (jjajangbap).

Make jjajangmyeon

Noodles for jjajangmyeon can be found at Korean grocery stores. The noodles are thick and chewy.

  1. Boil the noodles in a large pot and drain. Rinse and strain in cold water.
  2. Put one serving of noodles onto a serving plate and add the jjajang sauce over top. Garnish with cucumber strips and serve immediately with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Make jjajangbap

  1. Make one serving of rice, and add the jjajang sauce over top.
  2. Garnish with cucumber strips on top of the jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Posted on Monday, July 30th, 2007 at 6:44 am. Last updated on September 18, 2022.
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730 Comments:

  1. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 7th, 2007 at 8:48 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi,Lilian,
    sure, right after my oee kimchi(cucumber kimchi) runs out, I will make a video.
    Thanks,

  2. Lillian
    Posted August 7th, 2007 at 6:27 pm | or create a profile.

    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.

  3. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 5th, 2007 at 11:43 pm | or create a profile.

    Ginger,
    I 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.

  4. ginger
    Posted August 5th, 2007 at 9:41 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi 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?
    Thanks!! =)

  5. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 5th, 2007 at 9:33 am | or create a profile.

    Dear,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.

  6. Anonymous
    Posted August 5th, 2007 at 3:26 am | or create a profile.

    I love your show. It’s the best. I’m gonna try your kimchee recipe. Please post OYEE kimchee recipe too.

    Yumi

  7. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 3rd, 2007 at 8:10 am | or create a profile.

    hi,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.

  8. BlackAugust
    Posted August 3rd, 2007 at 1:39 am | or create a profile.

    Hi 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!

  9. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pm | or create a profile.

    James,
    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,

  10. james
    Posted August 2nd, 2007 at 4:43 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi 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.

  11. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted August 1st, 2007 at 7:36 am | or create a profile.

    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.

  12. Lisa
    Posted July 31st, 2007 at 2:50 pm | or create a profile.

    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,
    Lisa

    • buppy
      Posted May 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 am | or create a profile.

      Hi Lisa, if you ever want to discuss kdramas there’s a terrific chat board runboard.com where we watch a drama every month and discuss them. At runboard, choose CJK Dramas, then Korean dramas, and then the group “Always Current….”

  13. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
    Posted July 30th, 2007 at 4:02 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi,andreas, and ginger,
    yeah, it’s easy to follow the instruction right? chop chop chop!

  14. Ginger
    Posted July 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pm | or create a profile.

    Looks good!! I can’t wait to try it! =) Thanks Maangchi!

  15. Andreas
    Posted July 30th, 2007 at 3:03 pm | or create a profile.

    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!

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