{"id":2320,"date":"2019-02-06T23:27:46","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T07:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/koreanathome.wordpress.com\/?p=2320"},"modified":"2021-06-02T21:41:28","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T04:41:28","slug":"japchae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimchimari.com\/japchae\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) – Authentic and Amazing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japchae is a classic Korean Glass Noodle dish that is served as a side dish or appetizer. Mild in flavor, this is a great first dish to try if you never had Korean food before. This Japchae recipe is traditional and authentic – exactly how my family made it for years, so Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Japchae is a very popular Korean glass noodle side dish that’s made with vegetables and also sometimes meat. If you have ever been to a Korean restaurant, chances are you probably have had Japchae(\uc7a1\ucc44). And if side dish was the only way you had it (as opposed to an a la carte item)- then I’m afraid you probably had a very poorly made japchae.<\/p>\n

It sometimes makes me mad when I see restaurants serve this most delicious Korean glass noodle dish as a side dish that’s missing the authentic ingredients and flavor. Probably it’s 98% noodles and then maybe some little specks of vegetables once in a blue moon and no evidence of beef anywhere. Either that or it’s been reheated so many times that it has just morphed into something else.<\/p>\n

About Japchae \uc7a1\ucc44<\/h3>\n

Jap(\uc7a1<\/strong>\u96dc)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>means to mix and Chae(\ucc44<\/strong>\u83dc)<\/strong> means ‘vegetables’. H<\/span>istorical records go back as far as 17th century Joseon Dynasty when it\u00a0was first served to the King Kwanghaekun. Interestingly, there were no noodles in the earlier versions and the glass noodles only appeared in this dish in 1919 when a Dangmyeon \ub2f9\uba74 (Glass Noodles\/Potato Starch Noodles) factory first appeared in the Hwanghae region of Northern Korea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My Japchae (ChopChae) Story \ud83d\ude02<\/h3>\n

There’s a story that I’m reminded of every time I try to explain Japchae to someone.<\/p>\n

You see..\u00a0my father was a diplomat and he had a very good friend who was the US Ambassador (Mr. Walker) to Korea in the early 80’s. We had dinner together at a Korean restaurant in DC one time (I think it was actually Wooraeok<\/a>), and the ambassador said that he loved Japchae (or as he called it ‘ChopChoi’) and wanted to order it.<\/p>\n

And then he said “Do you know how I memorized the name of this dish?? It’s the “execute” = “chop” Mr. Chae (or choi) dish!!”\u00a0 HAHAHA..I thought it was a bit bizarre but also hilarious and very ingenious of him…\ud83d\ude02\ud83e\udd23and so the story has always stuck with me ever since. BTW, the ‘chop’ \uc7a1 can be pronounced as somewhere between Job and Chop.<\/p>\n

Well, I hope this will help you remember the name a little easier next time! \ud83d\ude0d<\/p>\n

What makes an Authentic Japchae<\/h2>\n

The Japchae recipe I introduce here is the way my mom used to make at home when I was little – for the Seollal or Chuseok holidays and big parties. I know there are different ways of making Japchae but the authentic and traditional way<\/em> to make Japchae is to saute\u00a0and season all ingredients separately<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(I know it’s kind of a pain) and then mix it all together at the end.<\/p>\n

Because this can be quite time-consuming, many recipes you see today may tell you to saute all the ingredients all together at the same time.\u00a0And in my opinion, unless done right (which I actually have found a way to make it right – see my One Pan Japchae<\/a> recipe for quicker version), it usually produces a mediocre one where everything is soggy, mushy and wet.<\/p>\n

Also in terms of ingredients, spinach, beef, carrots, onions and wood ear mushrooms are classic and authentic ingredients that are usually used to make this dish. The authentic recipe for Japchae I have below takes a bit of work and that’s probably why it’s known to be a Janchi Eumshik(\uc794\uce58\uc74c\uc2dd) = party food. But I think it’s well worth the effort. One simply could not have a true Janchi (party) without executing Mr. Chae!\ud83d\ude02\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n

What is Dangmyeon (Korean Glass Noodles) and what brand should I buy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dangmyeon is a dried noodle made from 100% sweet potato so it’s a great gluten-free<\/strong> food. It is quite chewy and is also low in calories (90 calories per 1 oz). I have not found a lot of difference between the brands so just buy a reputable brand and that should be fine.<\/p>\n

Japchae FAQ<\/h2>\n