Jjamppong

A fiery, seafood-packed noodle soup with a vivid red broth that rivals jajangmyeon for the hearts of Korean diners.

Jjamppong and jajangmyeon are the eternal rivals of Korean-Chinese cuisine, and choosing between them at a restaurant is a minor rite of passage for every Korean. The soup's volcanic red broth is built on a base of stir-fried gochugaru, garlic, and a medley of seafood — squid, mussels, clams, shrimp — which lend a briny depth that makes every sip addictive. Like jajangmyeon, the dish evolved from Chinese champon noodles introduced by Incheon's Shandong Chinese immigrant community, but Korean cooks cranked up the heat and seafood generosity dramatically. The thick wheat noodles soak up the spiced broth beautifully, and diners frequently mop up every last drop with the noodles or by ordering a side of rice to finish the bowl. On cold winter evenings, a steaming bowl of jjamppong is considered deeply restorative — Koreans call this warming, energizing quality 'haejangguk energy,' even if the dish itself is not a hangover cure.