Jajangmyeon
Encyclopedia
Jajangmyeon is a popular Korean dish, derived from the Chinese
dish zha jiang mian. It consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced meat and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. Jajang (alternately spelled jjajang), the name of the sauce, is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means "fried sauce." Myeon (also spelled myun) means "noodle."
, where early Chinese migrants to Korea began to settle in the late 19th century. The dish was arguably first developed in a Chinese restaurant called Gonghwachun (공화춘; 共和春 - meaning Republican Spring) in Incheon around 1905. The city of Incheon sponsored the "100 year anniversary of the birth of jajangmyeon" in 2005.
The dish originated from zha jiang mian (炸醬麵, literally "fried sauce noodles") in China's Shandong
region. The pronunciation of the dish's name is nearly identical to that of its Korean counterpart. But Korean jajangmyeon differs from Chinese zha jiang mian, as Korean zajangmyeon uses black Korean chunjang including caramel
, and onion
s that Chinese zha jiang mian does not use. Korean-style jajangmyeon has also been gaining popularity in China recently.
As of March 2009, six million servings of jajangmyun are sold in South Korea per day, and it was chosen as one of the top 100 "Korean cultural symbols" by the South Korean Government in 2006.
, is called chunjang (literally "spring paste", hangul: 춘장; Chinese: 春醬) when unheated, while the heated sauce (containing vegetables and meat or seafood) is called jjajang (literally "fried sauce"). Chunjang is stir-fried with diced onions, ground meat (either beef or pork) or chopped seafood, and other ingredients. The meat stock
is added to reduce the salty taste, and potato starch
or cornstarch
is added to give the sauce a thick consistency. The sauce is served hot over noodles, sometimes with sliced raw cucumber
s.
, accompanied with a little jajang sauce. The diner eats the noodle with danmuji and onions dipped in jajang sauce.
, shrimp
, sea cucumber
, and others (but never fish). Samseon ganjajangmyeon (삼선간자장면; 三鮮간炸醬麵) consists of noodles served with sauce, which contains seafood on the side. Jajangbap is essentially the same dish as jajangmyeon, but made with rice instead of noodles.
Instant jajangmyeon is also popular in South Korea. Dried noodles are boiled in the same manner as instant ramen
with dried vegetable bits, drained, and mixed with jajang powder and a small amount of water and oil.
However, Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words (외래어 표기법; 外來語 標記法), a manual under a regulation issued by Korean Ministry of Culture and Education (문화교육부; 文化敎育部) (currently Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (교육과학기술부; 敎育科學技術部) in 1986, ruled that the Korean alphabetization of stop consonant
s (e.g. 짜; jja; Cha) should not use Korean fortis
except for some established usages. According to this rule, the Korean alphabetization of the word '짜장면' is jajangmyeon. As a result, the alphabetization of the dish in recent years has been jajangmyeon in official government documents and the mainstream media.
However, there have been noticeable criticisms on the Korean alphabetization of this word. Those in favor of the alphabetization jjajangmyeon question if champon
should really be called Jambong as per the official manual (the popular dish was allowed to be alphabetized jjambbong as an exception to the rule). According to the 95th episode of Korean food culture cartoon Sikgaek (식객; 食客), Ahn Do Hyun (안도현), a Korean poet, announced that he would always write the dish's name as '짜장면,' not '자장면,' because the former is the name with which he associates all his childhood memories of the dish.
Also, in most old Korean dictionaries, the hanja
for 'jajangmyeon' is "酢醬麵". The first hanja's Chinese pronunciation is similar to 'ja', and the hanja 炸's Chinese pronunciation is close to 'jja'.
On August 31, 2011, The National Institute of The Korean Language (국립국어원; 國立國語院) announced that jjajangmyeon (짜장면) has been accepted as an alternate standard spelling of the dish alongside the existing jajangmyeon (자장면) on August 22, 2011, and has been added to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전; 標準國語大辭典) with 38 other words, hoping to end the long-standing discrepancy between the commonly used spelling and the standard spelling.
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
dish zha jiang mian. It consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced meat and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. Jajang (alternately spelled jjajang), the name of the sauce, is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means "fried sauce." Myeon (also spelled myun) means "noodle."
History
Jajangmyeon was first created in the city of IncheonIncheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, where early Chinese migrants to Korea began to settle in the late 19th century. The dish was arguably first developed in a Chinese restaurant called Gonghwachun (공화춘; 共和春 - meaning Republican Spring) in Incheon around 1905. The city of Incheon sponsored the "100 year anniversary of the birth of jajangmyeon" in 2005.
The dish originated from zha jiang mian (炸醬麵, literally "fried sauce noodles") in China's Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
region. The pronunciation of the dish's name is nearly identical to that of its Korean counterpart. But Korean jajangmyeon differs from Chinese zha jiang mian, as Korean zajangmyeon uses black Korean chunjang including caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
, and onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s that Chinese zha jiang mian does not use. Korean-style jajangmyeon has also been gaining popularity in China recently.
Popularity
With about 100 years of history, jajangmyeon is called one of the "national foods" of South Korea. It is a popular dish among families because of its taste and inexpensive cost to prepare. It has been, by far, the most popular delivery food in Korea, and almost every Chinese restaurant in Korea has jajangmyun on its menu.As of March 2009, six million servings of jajangmyun are sold in South Korea per day, and it was chosen as one of the top 100 "Korean cultural symbols" by the South Korean Government in 2006.
Noodles
Jajangmyeon uses thick noodles made from white wheat flour. The noodles, which are made entirely by hand and not by machines, are called sutamyeon (수타면; 手打麵) are praised in South Korea as an essential ingredient of good jajangmyeon.Sauce
The sauce is made with a dark soybean paste. This paste, which is made from roasted soybeans and caramelCaramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
, is called chunjang (literally "spring paste", hangul: 춘장; Chinese: 春醬) when unheated, while the heated sauce (containing vegetables and meat or seafood) is called jjajang (literally "fried sauce"). Chunjang is stir-fried with diced onions, ground meat (either beef or pork) or chopped seafood, and other ingredients. The meat stock
Stock (food)
Stock is a flavoured water preparation. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces.- Preparation :Stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water, including some or all of the following...
is added to reduce the salty taste, and potato starch
Potato starch
Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain starch grains . To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed; the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells...
or cornstarch
Cornstarch
Corn starch, cornstarch, cornflour or maize starch is the starch of the corn grain obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel.-History:...
is added to give the sauce a thick consistency. The sauce is served hot over noodles, sometimes with sliced raw cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
s.
Accompaniments
Jajangmyeon is always served with a small amount of danmuji (단무지). The dish is often served with a small amount of sliced raw onions, seasoned with rice vinegarVinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, accompanied with a little jajang sauce. The diner eats the noodle with danmuji and onions dipped in jajang sauce.
Variations
Variations of the jajangmyeon dish include ganjajangmyeon (간자장면), which is jajangmyeon served with the jajang sauce without the starch, with the sauce and noodles being served separately in different bowls, and samseon jajangmyeon (삼선자장면; 三鮮炸醬麵), which incorporates seafood such as squidSquid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, sea cucumber
Sea cucumber (food)
Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the class Holothuroidea used in fresh or dried form in various cuisines.The creature and the food product is commonly known as bêche-de-mer in French, trepang in Indonesian, namako in Japanese and in the Philippines it is called balatan...
, and others (but never fish). Samseon ganjajangmyeon (삼선간자장면; 三鮮간炸醬麵) consists of noodles served with sauce, which contains seafood on the side. Jajangbap is essentially the same dish as jajangmyeon, but made with rice instead of noodles.
Instant jajangmyeon is also popular in South Korea. Dried noodles are boiled in the same manner as instant ramen
Instant noodles
Instant noodles are dried or precooked noodles and are often sold with packets of flavoring including seasoning oil. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet...
with dried vegetable bits, drained, and mixed with jajang powder and a small amount of water and oil.
Korean spelling and pronunciation controversy
The dish has been known in South Korea as jjajangmyeon (or chajangmyeon; 짜장면) since the first time the dish was imported to Korea. Even in current times, the vast majority of Korean Chinese restaurants use this Korean spelling.However, Korean Alphabetization of Foreign Words (외래어 표기법; 外來語 標記法), a manual under a regulation issued by Korean Ministry of Culture and Education (문화교육부; 文化敎育部) (currently Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (교육과학기술부; 敎育科學技術部) in 1986, ruled that the Korean alphabetization of stop consonant
Stop consonant
In phonetics, a plosive, also known as an occlusive or an oral stop, is a stop consonant in which the vocal tract is blocked so that all airflow ceases. The occlusion may be done with the tongue , lips , and &...
s (e.g. 짜; jja; Cha) should not use Korean fortis
Fortis and lenis
In linguistics, fortis and lenis are terms generally used to refer to groups of consonants that are produced with greater and lesser energy, respectively, such as in energy applied, articulation, etc....
except for some established usages. According to this rule, the Korean alphabetization of the word '짜장면' is jajangmyeon. As a result, the alphabetization of the dish in recent years has been jajangmyeon in official government documents and the mainstream media.
However, there have been noticeable criticisms on the Korean alphabetization of this word. Those in favor of the alphabetization jjajangmyeon question if champon
Champon
, also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki, Japan. Due to the inspiration from Chinese cuisine, it is also a form of Japanese Chinese cuisine. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is added. A...
should really be called Jambong as per the official manual (the popular dish was allowed to be alphabetized jjambbong as an exception to the rule). According to the 95th episode of Korean food culture cartoon Sikgaek (식객; 食客), Ahn Do Hyun (안도현), a Korean poet, announced that he would always write the dish's name as '짜장면,' not '자장면,' because the former is the name with which he associates all his childhood memories of the dish.
Also, in most old Korean dictionaries, the hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
for 'jajangmyeon' is "酢醬麵". The first hanja's Chinese pronunciation is similar to 'ja', and the hanja 炸's Chinese pronunciation is close to 'jja'.
On August 31, 2011, The National Institute of The Korean Language (국립국어원; 國立國語院) announced that jjajangmyeon (짜장면) has been accepted as an alternate standard spelling of the dish alongside the existing jajangmyeon (자장면) on August 22, 2011, and has been added to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전; 標準國語大辭典) with 38 other words, hoping to end the long-standing discrepancy between the commonly used spelling and the standard spelling.
See also
- Korean cuisine
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean Chinese cuisineKorean Chinese cuisineKorean Chinese cuisine is derived from traditional Chinese cuisine but has been influenced by local ingredients in Korea. Due to geographical proximity, most Korean-Chinese dishes are derived from Northern styles of Chinese cuisine such as Beijing and Shandong cuisine. However, some have regarded...
- Zhajiang mianZhajiang mianZha jiang mian is a northern Chinese dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with a mixture of ground pork stir-fried with Zha jiang , which is salty fermented soybean paste....
- Sweet bean sauce
