Korean Jjajangmyeon Recipe — Black Bean Noodles

Jjajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese dish — brought by Chinese immigrants to Incheon in the late 19th century, adapted over decades until it became something distinctly Korean. The original Chinese zhajiangmian uses a different bean paste and different technique; Korean jjajangmyeon is its own food category.

The sauce is built from chunjang — a fermented black soybean paste that's first fried in oil to remove bitterness (a step called chunjang bokkeum) before being diluted and used as the sauce base. Skipping the frying step produces a harsh, overly salty sauce.

What You Need

• 400g fresh jjajangmyeon noodles (thick, fresh wheat noodles) or udon as substitute
• 300g pork belly, cut into small cubes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 cups cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1 potato, diced (optional)

The sauce:

• 4 tbsp chunjang (Korean black bean paste — sold in Korean grocery stores)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (for frying the chunjang)
• 2 cups water or pork broth
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp potato starch + 4 tbsp water (for thickening)

Garnish: julienned cucumber, danmuji (yellow pickled radish)

How to Make It

Fry the chunjang: This step is critical. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high heat. Add chunjang paste directly to the hot oil. Fry, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. The paste will darken and the raw soybean smell will mellow. Remove from the oil and set aside.

Cook pork: In the same wok, cook pork belly cubes until the fat renders and the edges brown, 5-7 minutes.

Add vegetables: Add onion, zucchini, and cabbage. Stir-fry 5 minutes until softened.

Add fried chunjang and liquid: Return the fried chunjang to the wok. Add water (or broth), sugar, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

Simmer 8-10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and vegetables are fully cooked.

Thicken: Stir potato starch slurry (2 tbsp starch + 4 tbsp water). Pour into the sauce, stirring. The sauce will thicken quickly and become glossy. If too thick, add water; if too thin, add more slurry.

Cook the noodles: Boil fresh jjajangmyeon noodles according to package directions (usually 4-5 minutes). Drain. Rinse briefly with cold water. Place in bowls.

Sauce over noodles. Top with julienned cucumber and danmuji.

To eat: Mix vigorously before eating — the noodles and sauce should be thoroughly combined.

Black Day (블랙데이)

April 14th is Black Day in South Korea — an unofficial holiday for people who didn't receive gifts on Valentine's Day (February 14th) or White Day (March 14th). The tradition is to eat jjajangmyeon alone, mourning one's single status. The dish became culturally linked to loneliness and single life through this association, which makes it one of the more interesting culinary-cultural intersections in modern Korean culture.

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Jjajangmyeon is a delivery order in Korea — the most commonly delivered food in the country. Making it at home requires the chunjang paste, available at any Korean grocery store. Once you have it, the dish takes 30 minutes.