Japchae
Encyclopedia
Japchae is a Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles (called dangmyeon), stir fried
in sesame oil
with various vegetables (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavoured with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served either hot or cold.
This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions, with seasonal vegetables added.
Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. It is often served on a bed of rice; together with rice it is known as japchae-bap , bap (밥) meaning "rice."
words; jap (hangul
: 잡, hanja
: 雜, literally "mixed and stirred") and chae (hangul
: 채, hanja
: 菜, literally "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means "a mixture of vegetables."
was reigning in the Korean peninsula. When King Gwanghaegun hosted a big party at his palace, one of his lieges, Yi Chung, created this dish to please the king’s palate. The king liked this dish so much that he rewarded his liege by promoting him to the position of hojo panseo (hangul
: 호조판서, hanja
: , equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury). At the time, japchae was made with vegetables and mushrooms, such as sliced cucumber
, shredded mu
, and pyogo
(shiitake) mushroom. Since the early 20th century, dangmyeon (cellophane noodles made from sweet potato
starch) has become an integral and primary ingredient of this variety of japchae.
Stir frying
Stir frying is an umbrella term used to describe two Chinese cooking techniques for preparing food in a wok: chǎo and bào . The term stir-fry was introduced into the English language by Buwei Yang Chao, in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, to describe the chǎo technique...
in sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
with various vegetables (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavoured with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served either hot or cold.
This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions, with seasonal vegetables added.
Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. It is often served on a bed of rice; together with rice it is known as japchae-bap , bap (밥) meaning "rice."
Etymology
The name, japchae, comprises the two hanjaHanja
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...
words; jap (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 잡, 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...
: 雜, literally "mixed and stirred") and chae (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 채, 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...
: 菜, literally "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means "a mixture of vegetables."
History
Japchae was first made in the early 17th century, when the Joseon DynastyJoseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
was reigning in the Korean peninsula. When King Gwanghaegun hosted a big party at his palace, one of his lieges, Yi Chung, created this dish to please the king’s palate. The king liked this dish so much that he rewarded his liege by promoting him to the position of hojo panseo (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 호조판서, 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...
: , equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury). At the time, japchae was made with vegetables and mushrooms, such as sliced 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...
, shredded mu
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
, and pyogo
Shiitake
The Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
(shiitake) mushroom. Since the early 20th century, dangmyeon (cellophane noodles made from sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
starch) has become an integral and primary ingredient of this variety of japchae.
Types
Japchae was originally made without noodles, but instead, the dish comprised various thinly shredded vegetables. Although the variety with noodles is most commonly available in Korean restaurants, varieties without noodles are also popular.Varieties without noodles
- Gochu japchae (고추잡채), made with shredded fresh green chili pepper and vegetables
- Buchu japchae (부추잡채), made with Korean chivesGarlic chivesGarlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a vegetable related to onion. The plant has a distinctive growth habit with strap-shaped leaves unlike either onion or garlic, and straight thin white-flowering stalks that are much taller than the leaves. The flavor is more like garlic than chives. It grows in...
- Kongnamul japchae (콩나물잡채), made with kongnamulKongnamulKongnamul, an example of Korean cuisine, refers to a seasoned banchan made from soybean sprouts, as well as being a term for the sprouts themselves in the Korean language...
(soybeanSoybeanThe soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
sprouts) - Haemul japchae (해물잡채), made with seafood and vegetables
- Beoseot japchae (버섯잡채), made with mushroomMushroomA mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s
Varieties served in Korean royal court cuisine
- TangpyeongchaeTangpyeongchaeTangpyeongchae is a Korean dish that was part of the Korean royal court cuisine. It is made by mixing julienned nokdumuk, mung bean sprouts, watercress, stir-fried shredded beef, thinly shredded red pepper and lightly broiled gim. Tangpyeongchae is seasoned with a sauce made with ganjang, vinegar,...
(탕평채), made with nokdumukNokdumukNokdumuk also spelled noktumuk is a Korean muk, or jelly, made from mung bean starch. In its most commonly encountered form, it is also called cheongpomuk , which literally means "clear froth jelly," owing to its clear white color...
(mung beanMung beanThe mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
starchStarchStarch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
jelly), sukjunamulSukjunamulSukjunamul refers to a seasoned banchan made from mung bean sprouts in Korean cuisine. However, the sprouts themselves are also called sukjunamul in the Korean language...
(mung bean sprouts), watercressWatercressWatercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
, red pepperCapsicumCapsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
, and various types of seaweedSeaweedSeaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae... - Gyeojachae (겨자채)
- Jokchae (족채), made with shredded jokpyeonJokpyeonJokpyeon is a jelly-like Korean traditional dish that is traditionally eaten around Seolnal throughout Korea. It is made by boiling offal or tough meat containing a great deal of collagen, such as the hooves, skull, and skin of a cow, for a long time. Shank and tendon can be added to make the dish...
(cow-hoof jelly) and vegetables - WolgwachaeWolgwachaeWolgwachae is a variety of japchae, or mixed vegetable dish, that was part of the Korean royal court cuisine. It is made with zucchini, beef, pyogo , chapssal bukkumi , and other vegetables...
(월과채), made with zucchiniZucchiniThe zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
, beefBeefBeef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, pyogoShiitakeThe Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
(shiitake), chapssal bukkumi (찹쌀부꾸미, a pan-fried variety of tteokTteokTteok is a class of Korean rice cakes made with glutinous rice flour , by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round...
made of glutinous riceGlutinous riceGlutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
flour), and other vegetables. "Wolgwa" (월과) refers to the Oriental pickling melonMuskmelonMuskmelon is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth skinned varieties such as honeydew, crenshaw and casaba, and different netted cultivars...
(Cucumis melo var. conomon photos) in the Korean language. Nowadays zucchini has largely replaced wolgwa for making the dish due to the latter vegetable's rarity.photo
External links
- Japchae - Official Seoul City Tourism
- Recipe for japchae at Messy Witchen