Explore a North Korean classic: cold noodles in a refreshing beef broth
The spoon clinks against metal, quiet and free of steam. You lift the bowl to your lips, breathe in a faint buckwheat aroma, then take that first icy sip: a broth so clear you could mistake it for melted snow, yet it hums with a whisper of beef fat and a tang of radish kimchi.
The mul-naengmyeon of Pyongyang, added in 2022 to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the name “Pyongyang Raengmyon custom,” does not dazzle; it reveals itself quietly.
Its genius lies in restraint: every element is pared down to the essential, leaving only pure flavor. Over the course of this article, we will travel back to the 19th century, dissect an orthodox bowl, settle modern quarrels about the noodles and the broth, and lay out the key principles for tasting, or crafting, your own icy winter masterpiece.
From a winter solstice dish to UNESCO heritage
Korean chronicler Hong Seok-mo noted in the Dongguk Sesigi of 1849 that Pyongyang families slurped cold noodles at the winter solstice, when freshly buried jars of dongchimi radish yielded a sparkling brine. In the North, the dish came to embody two graces: longevity – the noodles arrive whole, daring you to “eat life” in one stretch, and hospitality – the host who shares precious winter beef.
In the 1940s, poet Baek Seok evoked this mood with praise for a bowl “gentle, simple, faintly smoky, like water under a thin sheet of ice” (an English rendering of the line hisu-murehago … seumsumhan). The tradition survived wars and borders and was finally inscribed in 2022 on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The components of an authentic bowl of Mul-Naengmyeon
Buckwheat noodles
Buckwheat noodles look austere: ash gray, almost brittle because they contain 70 – 80 % buckwheat. The dough is pressed straight into boiling water, then shocked in ice, firming just enough to be slurped yet snapping under a distracted bite. Compared with the dark, chewy noodles of Hamhung, Pyongyang strands resemble supple string.
Icy, clear broth
The real broth is a duet. Beef, sometimes joined by chicken or the pheasant of old texts, simmers until the stock turns clear and faintly sweet. Once cooled and defatted, the broth is blended in equal parts with the effervescent brine of winter dongchimi.
Seasoning stops at salt and a shy dash of light soy sauce. Served ice-cold, the broth should show translucent shards – proof that the cook has honored temperature as much as taste.
Minimalist toppings
Thin slices of beef brisket blanket the nest of noodles. Pickled radish and cucumber echo the broth’s freshness, while a crescent of Korean pear lends a discreet fragrance. A hard-boiled egg, halved, crowns the bowl; a few pine nuts add a final touch of luxury.
Vinegar and mustard are served on the side – how you season the dish is up to your palate. This gastronomic rite is a jewel of Korean cuisine.
Classic Mul-Naengmyeon
Ingredients
Noodles
- 360 g naengmyeon buckwheat noodles dry weight
- 3 L water
- 30 g pine nuts
Beef & Broth
- 300 g beef brisket
- 2.2 L water
- 20 g green onion
- 20 g garlic
Broth Seasonings
- 10 g soy sauce
- 25 g salt
- 25 g sugar
- 45 g rice vinegar
- 6.5 g fermented mustard stems (gat)
Cucumber
- 50 g cucumber
- 1 g salt
Radish
- 100 g daikon radish
- 1 g salt
- 2 g sugar
- 1.1 g red chili powder fine
- 15 g rice vinegar
Pear
- 100 g Korean pear
- 100 ml water
- 4 g sugar
Eggs
- 2 eggs
- 1 L water
- 4 g salt
Instructions
Make the Beef Broth
- Pat the brisket dry. Cut the green onion and garlic into large pieces and rinse.300 g beef brisket, 20 g green onion, 20 g garlic
- Place the brisket in a large pot and pour in the measured water.2.2 L water
- Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the prepared green onion and garlic.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the brisket and let it cool.
- Slice the cooled meat into strips about 4 cm by 2 cm and 2 mm thick.
- Strain the broth through cheesecloth.
- Season the clear broth with the soy sauce, salt, sugar, rice vinegar and fermented mustard stems.10 g soy sauce, 25 g salt, 25 g sugar, 45 g rice vinegar, 6.5 g fermented mustard stems (gat)
- Chill in the refrigerator until ice-cold.
Prepare the Toppings
Cucumber
- Rub the cucumber with salt all over.50 g cucumber, 1 g salt
- Rinse off the salt.
- Halve lengthwise, then slice very thinly (about 2 mm).
- Soak the slices in lightly salted water for 20 minutes.
Radish
- Scrub the daikon clean.100 g daikon radish
- Cut into batons roughly 5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide and 2 mm thick.
- Toss with the salt, sugar, chili powder and vinegar.1 g salt, 2 g sugar, 1.1 g red chili powder, 15 g rice vinegar
- Let marinate for 20 minutes.
Pear
- Peel the Korean pear.100 g Korean pear
- Slice into half-moons about 2 mm thick.
- Soak the slices in the sugar water.100 ml water, 4 g sugar
Boil the Eggs
- Place the eggs in a saucepan, add the water and salt.2 eggs, 1 L water, 4 g salt
- Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 12 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to cold water.
- Peel the eggs.
- Cut each egg in half lengthwise.
Cook the Noodles & Assemble
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.3 L water
- Add the buckwheat noodles.360 g naengmyeon buckwheat noodles
- Cook for about 2 minutes, just until tender.
- Rinse under cold running water.
- Drain thoroughly.
- Divide the noodles among chilled serving bowls.
- Top each bowl with beef, cucumber, marinated radish, pear, egg halves and a sprinkle of pine nuts.30 g pine nuts
- Ladle the icy broth around the noodles and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Culinary sources
- Pyongyang raengmyeon custom – Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO)
- Pyongyang naengmyeon – ‘Ah! Korea’ column (World Korean News)
- Naengmyeon – Wikipedia
- Pyongyang naengmyeon in debate (Brunch)
- Everyone loves Pyongyang naengmyeon! Do you know the recipe? (DailyNK)
- KoreaNet – Korean recipe series: naengmyeon
- Official Myeon Sarang site – Pyongyang naengmyeon kit
- Why did dongchimi broth disappear from Pyongyang naengmyeon in Seoul? (Chosun)
- Uraeok, considered the best restaurant for Pyongyang naengmyeon lovers (MK Business)
- “Is Pyongyang naengmyeon bland?” The truth about its taste (Segye Ilbo)
- History of Pyongyang naengmyeon in North and South Korea (Tistory blog)
- Stories of the two Koreas: Pyongyang cold noodles, a taste of unity (Korea Foundation)
- North Korea’s emblematic dish: Pyongyang naengmyeon (AFP video)
- Naengmyeon: a warm love letter to cold noodles (Koryo Tours)
