Alternative names | Jjajangmyeon |
---|---|
Type | Korean Chinese cuisine, Myeon |
Place of origin | China (original) Korea (introduced)[1] |
Region or state | East Asia |
Main ingredients | cumian, chunjang, meat, vegetables, sometimes seafood |
Similar dishes | Zhajiangmian |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 자장면 |
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Hanja | 자장麵 |
Revised Romanization | jajangmyeon |
McCune–Reischauer | chajangmyŏn |
IPA | [tɕa.dʑaŋ.mjʌn] |
Hangul | 짜장면 |
Hanja | 짜장麵 |
Revised Romanization | jjajangmyeon |
McCune–Reischauer | tchajangmyŏn |
IPA | [t͈ɕa.dʑaŋ.mjʌn] |
Jajangmyeon (Korean: 자장면) or jjajangmyeon (짜장면) is a Korean Chinese noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang, diced pork, and vegetables.[2] It is a variation of the Chinese dish zhajiangmian; it developed in the late 19th century, during the Joseon period, when Chinese migrant workers from Shandong arrived in Incheon. The Korean variant of the dish uses a darker and sweeter sauce than the Chinese version. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats.[3][4]
In 1905, these Chinese immigrants introduced a black-bean noodle to Koreans, and the salty food (zhajiangmian in Chinese) soon metamorphosed into a sweet one called 'jajangmyeon,' with the addition of caramel into it, putting Chinese cuisine on a new course in Korea.
Most people describe the taste of Jajangmyeon as sweet and savory at the same time. The onions and black soybean paste have a slightly sweet flavor, but the soy sauce and stock make the dish deliciously savory at the same time. The noodles are thicker than usual and very soft and silky.