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Dish guide · Noodles and dumplings

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Jjolmyeon

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Chewy noodles in spicy sauce

🧊 Served cold🌶🌶 Spicy🥬 Vegetarian versions exist: ask

Extra-chewy cold noodles tossed with vegetables in a sweet, sour and spicy gochujang (red chili paste) sauce. It's a staple of Korean snack shops, and the name roughly means "chewy noodles".

What it is

  • The noodles are made from wheat flour and cornstarch. The dough is heated and pushed through a machine under high pressure, and that's what gives them their bounce.
  • The sauce is built on gochujang with vinegar, garlic and usually sugar. Common toppings are cabbage, bean sprouts and cucumber, often with a boiled egg.
  • Some shops also make versions with fried tofu or fish cake.

How to eat it

  1. 1Mix the noodles, vegetables and sauce thoroughly before your first bite.
  2. 2If you're worried about the heat, ask for less sauce.

History

  • It comes from Incheon in the early 1970s. The usual story is that a noodle factory turned out naengmyeon noodles that were too thick, and a nearby snack shop tossed them in chili paste sauce instead of wasting them.
  • Some say the thick noodle wasn't a mistake at all but the result of deliberate development, so the story isn't settled.

Allergies and diet

Usually contains

wheateggsoysesame
  • The noodles are wheat-based, and gochujang and soy sauce can contain wheat too.
  • A boiled egg is a common topping. Ask for it without.
  • Fish cake versions contain fish, and sauces vary by shop, so ask if you avoid fish.

Recipes differ between restaurants. If you have an allergy, always ask the staff before you order.

🗣️ Allergy card for the staff

Pick your allergy to see the sentence in Korean.

📍 Where to try it

Sources

We check every fact against at least two sources and write it in our own words. Last checked: 2026-11-03.