Korean Food part 1- Noodles

Bibim guksu

Bibim guksu, a cold dish made with very thin wheat flour noodles called somyeon with added flavorings, is one of the most popular traditional noodle dishes in Korean cuisine. It is also called guksu bibim or goldong myeon, all of which literally mean "stirred noodles" or "mixed noodles". ^[1] The dish is especially popular during summer.There are many kinds of cold noodle dishes in Korea, including one made with cold beef broth; however, spicy cold noodles have historically been appreciated by spice-loving people in Korea and recognized internationally. What makes this dish so distinct from other cold noodle dishes from different cultures is the strong spicy flavor produced from the combination of red pepper powder, gochujang, and minced garlic, along with a sweet-and-sour flavor created by vinegar and sugar. Most spicy cold noodles are prepared with a slight touch of sesame oil to enhance the richness of its flavor.Typically the dish would be prepared by stir frying diced beef, julienned pickled cucumbers, and mushrooms in sesame oil, which is all mixed together with the cooked noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Garnishes placed on top and around the spicy noodles include hard-boiled eggs, pickled mu, dried gim strips, sliced cucumbers, and sometimes sliced Korean pear or tomato.

Kalguksu

Kalguksu (literally "knife noodles") is a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food, consumed most often in summer. Its name comes from the fact that the noodles are not extruded or spun, but cut.^{[1] The noodles are made with dough from wheat flour and eggs, and sometimes ground bean powder is added for texture. The dough is let to breathe, then rolled out thinly and cut in long strips. The broth for kalguksu is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish, and kelp. Sometimes chicken broth would be used. In order to obtain a rich flavor, the ingredients are simmered for many hours. The noodles and various vegetables, most often zucchini, potatoes, and scallions are added and boiled together. Usually seasoned with salt, the noodles are served with garnish of choice.[1]}

Naengmyeon

Naengmyeon (hangul: 냉면, naeng-myeon, naengmyun, naeng-myun, meaning "cold noodles") is a Korean dish of long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat (메밀, memil), potatoes, sweet potatoes, and kudzu (칡, chik). Varieties with ingredients such as seaweed and green tea are available. According to the 19th century documents of Dongguksesigi (동국세시기, 東國歲時記), it has been made since the Joseon Dynasty.^[1]
Originally a delicacy in northern Korea, especially the cities of Pyongyang and Hamhung in North Korea, naengmyeon became widely popular in Korea after the Korean War.^[1] Naengmyeon is served in a large stainless bowl with a tangy iced broth, julienned cucumbers, slices of Korean pear, and either a boiled egg or slices of cold boiled beef. Spicy mustard sauce and vinegar are often added before consumption. The long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolized longevity of life and good health, but modernly, servers at restaurants usually ask if the noodles should be cut prior to eating and use food scissors to cut the noodles.

Jajangmyeon

Jajangmyeon (also spelled jjajangmyeon; 자장면; 짜장면) 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 (also 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."

Jjajangmyeon 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 jjajangmyeon. The sauce is made with a dark soybean paste called chunjang (hangul: 춘장; Chinese: 春醬). The paste, which is made from roasted soybeans and caramel, is called chunjang (literally "spring paste") 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. When cooking the sauce, usually meat stock is added to reduce the salty taste of cooked chunjang, 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 cucumbers. 

Popularity
With about 100 years of history, jjajangmyeon is called one of the "national foods" of South Korea. It is a popular dish among family members because of its cheap price and taste. It has been by far the most popular delivery food in Korea, and almost every Chinese restaurant in Korea has jjajangmyun on its menu. As of March 2009, six million servings of jjajangmyun 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.^[1]

 Bibim , Pyungyang Naengmyun